By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 13

WARNINGS AND LAMENTATIONS

    Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

    1. At the Lord's command, Jeremiah purchases a linen girdle and puts it on - with the understanding that he is not to wash it, (vs. 1-2).
      a. The lesson from this symbolic act is for the prophet's own benefit.
      b. The Lord required more symbolic acts of Jeremiah than of any other prophet, (vs. 16:1-4, 5-13; 18:1-12; 19:1-15; 25:15-29, 27:28; 32:1-15; 35:1-19; 51:59-64).
    2. In obedience to a further command of the Lord, Jeremiah went to the Euphrates (approximately 250 miles) - still wearing the Unwashed girdle; at God's command, he took it off, hid it in the cleft of a rock and returned to Jerusalem, (vs. 3-5).
    3. After many days, the Lord sent him back to dig up the filthy garment that he had hidden, (vs. 6-7).
      a. Exposed to sun, wind, dust and rain; the garment was now rotten and shredded.
      b. It was WORTHLESS! - good for nothing!
    4. As Jeremiah held the worthless garment in his hand, the Lord spoke to him again - revealing this as a symbol of what was happening to Judah and Jerusalem who, in pride and stubbornness, had rejected the love of Jehovah, to chase after false gods, (vs. 8-10).
      a. When one turns away from God his life begins to rot! (Lev. 26:14, 19-22; Isa. 2:10-17; comp. Isa. 23:8-9; Zeph. 3:11-13).
      b. God is the source of strength for all humanity; apart from a loving and intimate relationship with Him, no one can experience life at its fullest and best - for fullness of life rests in Him "in whom we live and move and have our being," (Acts 17:28).
      c. Any man, or nation, that refuses to trust in God and walk in loving loyalty (in the way of His appointment) before Him, will soon discover that deterioration has set in; it loses its power and begins to fall apart, (11:8, 10; Num. 14:11-12; 2 Chron. 36:15-21).
      d. Man or nation, apart from the true God, will be as this filthy, rotten garment - GOOD FOR NOTHING! (comp. Matt. 5:13).
    5. But, the full force of the lesson appears in verse 11.
      a. God has chosen and designed His covenant people for a walk of intimacy with Himself, (Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6-11; 32:10-11).
      b. This linen garment was one of the most intimate that a man could put on - illustrating the nearness of relationship that the Lord desires with His people.
      c. And the Lord has good reason for desiring this nearness.
        1) He wants to set us forth, as His own people, before an unbelieving world, (7:23-26).
        2) He wants to make us a NAME for Himself, (32:19-20; Isa. 63:11-14; Dan. 9:13-15; comp. Isa. 6:2-4).
        3) He wants us to show forth His praise, (33:7-9; Isa. 43:20-21; Psa. 102:18-22; Lk. 1:68-69, 74-75).
        4) He wants us to glorify His name, (Eph. 3:20).
        5) And He wants us to be "a people for His own possession," (I Pet. 2:9) - to show forth His glorious excellencies in all the earth; to be His witnesses, ambassadors and joyful servants!

    12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

    1. The "nebel" was the largest earthenware container in use for the storage of wine, (vs. 12; comp. Isa. 22-24; 30:14; Lam. 42).
    2. In response to the Lord's word that every jar would be filled with wine, the people of Judah responded (in essence) that they were not totally ignorant; they knew quite well what to do with wine jars!
      a. Drunkenness was a major social problem in the ancient Near East.
      b. From it sprang a vast array of evils - as illustrated in Noah, (Gen. 9:21-25), Nabal (I Sam. 25) and others.
      c. Such wickedness as sprang from the drunken state was quite characteristic of Canaanite worship.
      d. Instead of turning to alcohol, New Testament Christians are urged to "put on Christ" (Rom. 13:13), and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, (Eph. 5:18).
    3. Jeremiah informs his rebellious brethren that THEY are the wine jars which are about to be filled with the wine (fury) of God's wrath! - kings, prophets, priests and all the inhabitants of the land are included, (vs. 13; comp. 51:57; Psa. 75:7-8).
    4. As men under the influence of depressant alcohol, the people of Judah will be utterly given over to reprobate minds - so impaired as to be helpless in the coming crisis; as drunken men they will be unable to distinguish between friend and foe, (vs. 14; comp. 19:8-11; 25:15-28; Ezek. 23:31-34; Isa. 51:17; Psa. 60:3).
      a. Father and son will be dashed against each other - the Wine-jars broken! (6:21; comp. Ezek. 5:8-10).
      b. Nor will the Lord pity, spare or show compassion toward the Objects of His wrath; His judgment is JUST! (16:5; 21:7; comp. Isa. 27:11; Deut. 29:20-21).
      c. Their destruction is well deserved!

    15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. 16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

    1. Knowing the love and yearning of God's heart for His people, Jeremiah pleads with Judah to listen, and to turn from her proud rebellion, (vs. 15; Prov. 16:5; 3:34; Isa. 28:14-22; IPet. 5:5).
    2. Let her, rather, give honor to the Lord her God (recognizing His majesty and obeying His word, (Psa. 96:5-9) before He brings catastrophic darkness upon her (comp. Isa. 5:30; 59:9-10; Amos 5:18-20; Psa. 107:10-15) - and with it, stumbling (23:12; Prov. 4:19) and the destruction of all hope of recovery, (vs. 16).
    3. The tenderness of Jeremiah is manifested in his expression of deep sorrow, (vs. 17).
      a. If they will not hear, his soul will weep because of their pride, (comp. Mal. 22; Lev. 26:14-18).
      b. His eyes will overflow with tears when the Lord's flock is taken captive, (14:17; comp. Matt 23:27-39).

    18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. 19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

    1. This has reference to the 18-year-old Jehoiachin, and his queen-mother (Nehusta) after a reign of only three months in Jerusalem, (comp. 2 Kings 24:8-15).
      a. Here is a call for these royal personages to humble themselves before Jehovah, (vs. 18a; comp. 2 Chron. 33:12, 19).
      b. Their beautiful, royal headdress (signifying their honor, glory and power) has been removed from them, (vs. 18b).
      c. Thus, Jeremiah rebukes the fallen leaders of Judah for the contempt with which they have treated his message.
    2. The cities of the south were shut up (barricaded) so that refugees who fled the fury of the invader could not enter, (vs. 19a; comp. 32:44).
    3. Judah is carried away captive - though, in reality, only the potential leaders and skilled workers are, at this time, taken to Babylon; they are representative of the captivity of the whole.
      a. In the Hebrew writings one often finds poetic exaggeration, hyperboles, and the employment of various figures of speech; thus, this must not be regarded as a contradiction.
      b. This principle of representation under girded the entire sacrificial system in the Old Testament.
      c. Its perfect, supreme manifestation awaited the substitutionary sacrifice of the Son of Man on the cross, at Calvary, (Jn. 11:50-52; comp. Isa 53:4-6; Rom. 4;25; 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Rom. 6:1-11; 8:11; 6:12-14).

    20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? 22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. 25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. 27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighing, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?

    1. The enemy is seen approaching from the north - the inescapable consequence of willful persistence in sin; and inquiry is made concerning the depopulation of the once-populous city, (vs. 20, 17; 23:2).
    2. Great will be their sorrow when those whose friendship they have cultivated, through political strategy, and in whom they have trusted for safety, are made their masters, (vs. 21; comp. 38:22; Isa. 39:4-7).
    3. Since Judah cannot understand how such incredulous calamity could possibly overtake her, Jeremiah is prepared to enlighten her, (vs. 22-23).
      a. It is because of the multitude of her iniquities that she is brought to shame, (vs. 22; 2:17-19; 9:2-9).
      b. Practiced in evil, it is as impossible for Judah to change her ways as for a Negro to change the color of his skin, or a leopard its spots! (vs. 23; Prov. 27:22; Isa. 1:5-6; Jer. 4:22).
    4. Since her sin is so deeply ingrained, the Lord will scatter her, as straw before a strong wind - openly exposing her shame, (vs. 24-25; 4:11-13; 9:16; 18:17).
      a. She has forgotten Jehovah and trusted in falsehood, (2:32; 3:21; comp. Psa. 106:21-22).
      b. Thus will He expose her corrupt wantonness - her unfruitful works of darkness, (Lam. 1:8-9, 17).
      c. Observing her abominable, adulterous neighing, lewdness and whoredom, the Lord pronounces a "woe" upon Jerusalem who is NOT WILLING TO BE MADE CLEAN! (vs. 27a; 5:7-8; 11:15; 2:20; comp. Ezek. 24:14).
      d. And in a final cry, He inquires - "How long will it be?" (comp, Prv. 1:22; Hos. 8:5).