Recap

So far in Jeremiah we’ve looked at Jeremiah’s calling and accusations against Judah, and then the destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Jeremiah is a collection of messages and poems by the prophet Jeremiah, who was a prophet to Judah immediately before their exile. We read as God called Jeremiah to be his mouth pieces to Judah to weed out corruption and idolatry in Judah. The people would not listen to him, but his teachings would serve as a foundation for the people after they’d been exiled.

We read as Jeremiah tried to lead the people to repentance, but they would not listen. He grieved the destruction he knew was coming to Judah, likening it to decreation. Returning the land to its state before God created it. Again, Jeremiah called the people to repent, but God tells Jeremiah not to pray for them. Their opportunity to change has gone. The era of wise men is gone. It's time for the women who mourn to lead.

We saw the first few cracks for Jeremiah. He was being persecuted and sometimes it looked like wicked people are flourishing. God encouraged Jeremiah that punishment was coming. We read as Jeremiah wrestled with his job. He tried to intercede for the people again, but God told him not to. Instead, Jeremiah has to settle with being hated and mocked by the people.

As Babylon came and started taking some people into exile, God warned them that they would be in exile for seventy years. Then he would punish Babylon for its wickedness along with the other nations.

Then came messages of hope. God will reunite and restore the nation of Israel. They will rejoice and flourish in their land again. God will make a new covenant with them that he will write on their hearts. As a sign of this hope, God got Jeremiah to buy some land and then to bury the deeds for the land in a jar so that the generation that comes out of exile can dig it up. Yes, things are hard now, but God will bring life where there was death.

But for now, the people were digging their own graves. They set their slaves free, only to re-enslave them again. We had the example of the Rechabites who held on to commandments passed down their family, while the Israelites couldn't hold on to commandments given directly by God. King Jehoiakim would rather throw Jeremiah’s teachings into the fire and see him dead than listen to them.

We read how Jeremiah was arrested and then saved from being killed by an Ethiopian man. Jeremiah remained under arrest until Babylon came and sacked Jerusalem. They led the people, including king Zedekiah, into exile. The king of Babylon freed Jeremiah and placed him under the responsibility of one of his officials. The new governor of Judah was killed, and the people asked Jeremiah what to do. After seeking God, Jeremiah told the people to stay in Judah and trust that God would protect them. Instead, the people fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them. Jeremiah warned that God was going to send Babylon to defeat Egypt as well.

Jeremiah 45-48

This actually marks the end of Jeremiah's public preaching to God's people. What remains are prophesies concerning God's judgement of the foreign nations. In between these two sections is a very short message from God to Jeremiah's servant and scribe, Baruch.

Like Jeremiah, Baruch had been suffering because of his role in bringing God's word to his people. He was lonely and abused, and like Jeremiah, had clearly been lamenting his situation. So God responds to encourage Baruch. He will protect and bless Baruch. Wherever Baruch goes, God will be with him and keep him.

Then comes the prophesies of judgement against the foreign nations. First up is Egypt. This word came to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim was king. During this time, the people, including Jehoiakim, were looking to Egypt to save them from Babylon, so while this message is about judgement against Egypt, it is a warning to God's people not to put their trust in foreign nations. Instead, they should put their trust in him.

It starts with an image of the Egyptians preparing for battle, but God predicts that they will attempt to flee, with terror attacking them from every side, but fail and be cut down. Just as the Nile rises to burst its bank and then drops down again in drier seasons, so Egypt has risen ready to burst its banks and destroy the other nations, but has ended up sinking and being put to shame.

So God prophesies the destruction of Egypt by Babylon. This may have been the initial destruction mentioned under Jehoiakim. Or it may be the second time Babylon attacked under Zedekiah, when Babylon retreated from sieging Jerusalem to put Egypt in their place. Either way, the message is clear. God will strike down Egypt, bringing Babylon to destroy them.

God turns to his people to encourage them. Yes, he plans to punish his people just like he will punish these foreign nations. The difference is that his plan is to discipline his people so he can bring them back and restore them to their place.

Next in line are the Philistines. They lived on the coastal strip of land, west of Judah, and are Israel and Judah's oldest enemy. This prophecy is shorter. God declares that there is water coming from the north. Water coming like a flood, and sounding like horses and chariots. God will destroy the Philistines!

Then there is a prophecy against Moab. The Moabites lived to the east of Judah and Israel, and were the descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew. The relationship between the two nations had always been tense. This prophecy is much longer than the rest, though there's no clear reason why.

The prophecy dives straight into talking about Moab's destruction. The reason given is that "you trusted in your works and your treasures" (Jeremiah 48:7). Like God's people, they had become proud, confident they were safe and no one could hurt them. God accuses the Moabites of being a slack people, who have lived lives of ease, content with not working hard.

Picking up on Moab's wine trade, God uses the imagery of Moab's enemy, pouring them out like wine and dashing the wine jars on the ground. He challenges the Moabites for their claim that they are mighty warriors, promising to send a destroyer to defeat them.

Then God begins to list out the cities of Moab, promising destruction to each. After this, God mourns the destruction of Moab. He doesn't take pleasure in taking this nation and pouring them out. God will remove from Moab their idol worship and worship of foreign gods, but it grieves him that he has to destroy them to do so. Moab will become a place of lament and despair.

God confirms his destruction over Moab. There will be destruction and terror, and their children will be taken into captivity. But. Right at the end of this prophecy, God promises to one day restore Moab, and bless her once again.

Psalm 23

If Psalm 22 is one of the most famous lament psalms, Psalm 23 is one of the most famous psalms of trust. It is attributed to king David.

Psalm 23:1-4 - The Lord as shepherd

Psalm 23:5-6 - The Lord as host

A short psalm, Psalm 23 is dedicated entirely to declaring God’s faithfulness and loving kindness to his people. He is a God who protects and provides. It uses two different metaphors to do this.

The first is of a shepherd. Just as sheep don’t need to worry about their needs, or try to provide for themselves, God’s people can trust that God has all their needs in hand.

And this isn’t just a nice saying that isn’t grounded in reality. When the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years, God catered for all of their needs (Deuteronomy 2:7).

God’s provision for his people is a source of rest and reinvigoration. He leads them to rest, provides them water for their first, and even guards their souls, leading them in righteousness.

The psalm then looks at the forces of darkness and death and points out that even those carry no power before God. His people need not fear these things because God will protect and comfort them.

Which leads us to our second metaphor, a generous host. God invites his people into his presence and creates space for them. Even when it feels like they are surrounded by enemies, God is still there providing for them.

But the greatest gift is not God’s provision, but his presence. The psalmist ends, grateful that they are allowed to dwell in God’s presence.