Submitting to God’s National Judgments

Jeremiah 24:1-10,

“(1) After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD.

(2) One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible.

(3) The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.”

(4) The word of the LORD came to me: (5) “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. (6) I will keep My eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them. (7) I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart.

(8) “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible, this is what the LORD says: in this way I will deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem–those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.

(9) I will make them an object of horror and disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace, an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing, wherever I have banished them. (10) I will send the sword, famine, and plague against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”

Seventy Years of Captivity

Jeremiah 25:1-38,

“(1) This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon).

(2) The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows:

(3) “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until this very day–23 years–the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again, but you have not obeyed.

(4) The LORD sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again, but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.

(5) He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds. Live in the land the LORD gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. (6) Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.

(7) “‘But you would not obey Me’–this is the LORD’s declaration–‘in order that you might provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands and bring disaster on yourselves.’

(8) “Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, (9) I am going to send for all the families of the north’–this is the LORD’s declaration–‘and send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation, a derision, and ruins forever.

(10) I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them–the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.

(11) This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. (12) When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’–this is the LORD’s declaration–‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever. (13) I will bring on that land all My words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. (14) For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.'”

(15) This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to drink from it. (16) They will drink, stagger, and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.”

(17) So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the LORD sent me to. (18) These included: Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of scorn and cursing–as it is today;

(19) Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,

(20) and all the mixed peoples;all the kings of the land of Uz;all the kings of the land of the Philistines–Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; (21) Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; (22) all the kings of Tyre,all the kings of Sidon,and the kings of the coastlands across the sea; (23) Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who shave their temples;

(24) all the kings of Arabia,and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert; (25) all the kings of Zimri,all the kings of Elam,and all the kings of Media;

(26) all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another;that is, all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth.”

NOTE:

The phrase “the face of the earth” is not necessarily comprehensive of the entire planet since the word earth has several meanings including simply the “ground or the dirt”.

It “may have” simply meant all the lands, kings and countries in that part of the world – immediately surrounding Canaan.

In truth, most of the kingdoms of the world at that time ARE mentioned here, except those of the very distant east of the orient.

It may simply be a phrase which was used at the time of a large and interconnected series of lands and kingdoms. That seems to be the way it was used for Alexander the Great and Rome both of which were attributed with conquering the world.

When read all together in context, it most likely means, all the lands in this part of the world which were under God’s immediate judgment to be placed under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

“…Finally, the king of Sheshach will drink after them.

(27) “Then you are to say to them: This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:

Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you. (28) If they refuse to take the cup from you and drink, you are to say to them: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: You must drink! (29) For I am already bringing disaster on the city that bears My name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth”–this is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts.

(30) “As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The LORD roars from on high; He raises His voice from His holy dwelling. He roars loudly over His grazing land; He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. (31) The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a case against the nations. He enters into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword–This is the LORD’s declaration.

(32) “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Pay attention! Disaster goes forth from nation to nation. A great storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth.” (33) Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the surface of the ground.

(34) Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. Because the days of your slaughter have come, you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase. (35) Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock. (36) Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry, the wail of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture. (37) Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless because of the LORD’s burning anger. (38) He has left His den like a lion, for their land has become a desolation because of the sword of the oppressor, because of His burning anger.”

Jeremiah 26:1-24,

“(1) At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:

(2) “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah’s cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.

(3) Perhaps they will listen and return–each from his evil way of life–so that I might relent concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.

(4) You are to say to them: This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to Me by living according to My law that I set before you (5) and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets I have been sending you time and time again, though you did not listen, (6) I will make this temple like Shiloh. I will make this city an object of cursing for all the nations of the earth.”

(7) The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the LORD. (8) He finished the address the LORD had commanded him to deliver to all the people.

Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die! (9) How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD, ‘This temple will become like Shiloh and this city will become an uninhabited ruin’!”

Then all the people assembled against Jeremiah at the LORD’s temple. (10) When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the LORD’s temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate.

(11) Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

(12) Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and the people, “The LORD sent me to prophesy all the words that you have heard against this temple and city. (13) So now, correct your ways and deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God so that He might relent concerning the disaster that He warned about.

(14) As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right. (15) But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the LORD has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”

(16) Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”

(17) Some of the elders of the land stood up and said to all the assembled people, (18) “Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become ruins, and the temple mount a forested hill.’

(19) Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and plead for the LORD’s favor, and did not the LORD relent concerning the disaster He had pronounced against them? We are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”

(20) Another man was also prophesying in the name of the LORD–Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like all those of Jeremiah. (21) King Jehoiakim, all his warriors, and all the officials heard his words, and the king tried to put him to death. When Uriah heard, he fled in fear and went to Egypt. (22) But King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor and certain other men with him went to Egypt. (23) They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who executed him with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial place of the common people.

(24) But Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.”

Jeremiah 27:1-22,

“(1) At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

(2) “This is what the LORD said to me: Make fetters and yoke bars for yourself and put them on your neck. (3) Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon through messengers who are coming to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem.

(4) Command them to go to their masters, saying: This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: This is what you must say to your masters:

(5) By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please. (6) So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him.

(7) All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.

(8) “As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague”–this is the LORD’s declaration–“until through him I have destroyed it. (9) But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers who say to you: Don’t serve the king of Babylon! (10) for they prophesy a lie to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish.

(11) But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will till it and reside in it.” This is the LORD’s declaration.

(12) I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah in the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live! (13) Why should you and your people die by the sword, famine, or plague as the LORD has threatened against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?

(14) Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you. (15) ‘I have not sent them’–this is the LORD’s declaration–‘and they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore, I will banish you, and you will perish–you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.'”

(16) Then I spoke to the priests and all these people, saying, “This is what the LORD says, ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets. They are prophesying to you, claiming: Look, very soon now the articles of the LORD’s temple will be brought back from Babylon. They are prophesying a lie to you. (17) Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?

(18) If they are indeed prophets and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them intercede with the LORD of Hosts not to let the articles that remain in the LORD’s temple, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem go to Babylon.’ (19) For this is what the LORD of Hosts says about the pillars, the sea, the water carts, and the rest of the articles that still remain in this city, (20) those Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.

(21) Yes, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the temple of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:

(22) ‘They will be brought to Babylon and will remain there until I attend to them again.’ This is the LORD’s declaration. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.'”

Jeremiah 28:1-17,

“(1) In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon said to me in the temple of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people,

(2) “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (3) Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the LORD’s temple that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from here and transported to Babylon. (4) And I will restore to this place Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon’–this is the LORD’s declaration–‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'”

(5) The prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the temple of the LORD. (6) The prophet Jeremiah said,

“Amen! May the LORD do so. May the LORD make the words you have prophesied come true and may He restore the articles of the LORD’s temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place! (7) Only listen to this message I am speaking in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.

(8) The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. (9) As for the prophet who prophesies peace–only when the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”

(10) The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke bar from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. (11) In the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, from the neck of all the nations.'”

Jeremiah the prophet then went on his way. (12) The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke bar from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet:

(13) “Go say to Hananiah: This is what the LORD says: You broke a wooden yoke bar, but in its place you will make an iron yoke bar. (14) For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations that they might serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have also put the wild animals under him.”

(15) The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have led these people to trust in a lie. (16) Therefore, this is what the LORD says:

‘I am about to send you off the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD.'”

(17) And the prophet Hananiah died that year in the seventh month.”

Jeremiah 29:1-32,

“(1) This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.

(2) This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem.

(3) The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

The letter stated:

(4) This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

(5) “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. (6) Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.

(7) Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”

(8) For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, (9) for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.”

This is the LORD’s declaration. (10) For this is what the LORD says:

“When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. (11) For I know the plans I have for you”–this is the LORD’s declaration–“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (12) You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

(13) You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you”–the LORD’s declaration–“and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”–the LORD’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.”

(15) You have said, “The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” (16) But this is what the LORD says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne and concerning all the people living in this city–that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. (17) This is what the LORD of Hosts says:

“I am about to send against them sword, famine, and plague and will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. (18) I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth–a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations where I will have banished them. (19) I will do this because they have not listened to My words“–this is the LORD’s declaration–“that I sent to them with My servants the prophets time and time again. And you too have not listened.”

This is the LORD’s declaration. (20) Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. (21) This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to Ahab son of Kolaiah and to Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in My name:

“I am about to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. (22) Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse that says:

May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire! (23) because they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken a lie in My name, which I did not command them.

I am He who knows, and I am a witness.”

This is the LORD’s declaration. (24) To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say,

(25) “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying:

(26) The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest to be the chief officer in the temple of the LORD, responsible for every madman who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in stocks and an iron collar.

(27) So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you? (28) For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming: The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”

(29) Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. (30) Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

(31) “Send a message to all the exiles, saying: This is what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie, (32) this is what the LORD says:

I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people, nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to My people”–this is the LORD’s declaration–“for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.”

Blessings!

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

Blessings!

Series: Thru the Bible

Submitting to God’s National Judgments

Seventy Years of Captivity

NOTE:

Pastor Mark