Chronological Bible Study – Aug 13
What I Noticed Today (Jeremiah 23-25)
Jeremiah 23
In verses 1-4, Jeremiah pronounces a woe to the shepherds (priests, prophets, leaders) who have not cared for God’s flock. These shepherds deserve punishment for scattering the sheep. God promises that He will gather the remnant Himself and raise up new shepherds who will care for the people properly.
In verses 5-6, the Lord declares He will raise up a righteous ruler who will be king. The “Branch of David” is a reference to the Messiah. In those days, Judah and Israel will be saved.
Note: This promise is filled by Jesus Christ who came as Messiah in his first advent and will deliver the kingdom when He returns for His Millennial reign (second advent).
In verses 7-8, the restored people (of verses 6) will no longer look back to the time of Exodus when God brought them up out of Egypt because they will now be united and restored to their land.
In verses 23:9-40, Jeremiah’s focus switches from the kings to the prophets who spoke falsely about God.
In verses 9-12, Jeremiah describes the Word of the Lord as central to his life. Yet all around, there are priests and prophets who are ungodly and evil. They adulterate the Word of the Lord. Therefore, says the Lord, He will bring disaster upon them.
In verses 13-15, Jeremiah compares the prophets of Baal in Samaria who led the people astray, with the prophets in Jerusalem who committed adultery, lied, and supported evildoers. God promised to bring judgment upon them (I will feed them bitter food and give them poisoned water) for all their ungodliness.
In verses 16-22, the Lord warns the people not to listen to the prophets who speak of vain hopes (visions); they make up instead of speaking God’s words. The Lord said he would bring judgment upon them, and then the people would understand that He had not sent them. If they had taken counsel from God and proclaimed His words to His people, they would have turned from their evil ways.
In verses 23-32, the Lord asks three rhetorical questions about his attributes and character. He is a God who is present; man cannot hide from God. His presence fills heaven and earth. The prophets say they have dreams from God, but they are lies, just like the earlier prophets who caused the people to forget God’s name and follow Baal. Because the words were not from God, these prophets stole each other’s words, passing them off as God’s. God is against these prophets who have led His people astray with their false prophecies.
In verses 33-40, the prophets, priests, and people were asking what is the “burden of the Lord.” Prophets, priests, and people were to answer “the burden of the Lord is…” as if they were receiving and speaking God’s word to the people. They were claiming divine authority. They misused the phrase so much that the Lord commanded them not to use it, and anyone who did would be cast away in shame and disgrace as a false prophet.
Jeremiah 24
In verses 1-3, Nebuchadnezzar had taken the people of Jerusalem captive exiling them to Babylon. (This would be while Zedekiah was king in Jerusalem, around 597 B.C.). After this, the Lord gave Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs in front of the temple. One of the baskets of figs was very good, and another basket was filled with bad figs.
In verses 4-7, the Lord said the good figs represented the good people who were taken away into exile. He promised to protect them, restore them to Jerusalem, and build them up because they will return to God with all their hearts.
In verses 8-10, the Lord said the bad figs represented Zedekiah, his officials, and the remnant who dwelled in Jerusalem and Egypt. The Lord said He would judge them with the sword, pestilence, and famine until they are all destroyed.
Jeremiah 25
The 70-year captivity of the people in Babylon is described in Jeremiah 25.
In verses 1-3, the importance of the event involving all the people of Judah was delivered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, approximately 605-604 B.C.
Jeremiah had been prophesying consistently to the people for 23-years, but they had not listened to him.
In verses 4-7, the Lord had sent other prophets over many years who warned the people to turn from their evil ways and live for God. They had served and worshiped other gods and crafted false idols. Because the people had not listened to God or His prophets, they had provoked Him to anger.
In verses 8-11, the Lord summoned the peoples of the north (Babylonians) and specifically Nebuchadnezzar, who was referred to as God’s servant here because he was doing what God had willed. God used the Babylonians to bring judgment in the form of destruction on the land of Judah, and exile the people to serve the Babylonians for 70-years (605 – 536 B.C.).
Note: Why 70-years? God’s law decreed that the land was to enjoy a Sabbath rest one year in every seven (Leviticus 25:3-5). If the people did not obey, God said He would enforce the Sabbath rest (Leviticus 26:33-35). Scholars believe the 70-years of exile represents God’s enforcement of the Sabbath rest.
In verses 12-14, God promised to punish the Babylonians after the 70-year period because they had made slaves of God’s people (God’s judgment on Babylon is recorded in Jeremiah 50-51).
In verses 15-26, Jeremiah receives a vision of the Lord holding a cup of His wrath. Jeremiah was to make the people of all nations drink of the cup of God’s wrath, beginning with Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Other nations that were to drink of the cup included Egypt, Uz, Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Zimri, Elam, and Media. After all these, then Babylon will drink of the cup of God’s wrath.
Note: Some translations say the King of Sheshach (v. 26). Sheshach is a cryptogram code for Babylon.
In verses 27-29, all the nations who drink of the cup of God’s wrath will become drunk, vomit, and fall. This is a metaphorical description of the sword of destruction that God is sending. No nation will go unpunished.
In verses 30-38, Jeremiah continues his description of God’s judgment in poetic form rather than prose.
In verses 30-33, Jeremiah describes God’s shout from heaven, bringing judgment on the people like a lion who will roar so loudly it will be heard to the ends of the earth. Those slain by God’s judgment will be scattered all over the earth; they will not be lamented nor buried.
In verses 34-38, the remaining leaders will weep and cry out in ashes (mourning), but there will be no place of refuge for them, no place to escape God’s judgment.
Tomorrow: Jeremiah 26-29
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.