|
COMMENTARY JEREMIAH
By Eugene Garner
JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 19
A LESSON FROM AN EARTHEN BOTTLE
As the sign of the potter's house was for the benefit of JEREMIAH himself, this one is intended for the kings, priests, prophets and people of Judah.
Vs. 1-2: AN EARTHENWARE VISUAL AID
THUS saith the LORD, Go and get a potters earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; 2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shell tell thee.
1. Once again Jeremiah is to go to the pottery - this time to PURCHASE an earthenware bottle.
a. He does not demand to know what God can possibly want with a bottle.
b. He knows that God has a purpose for all that He commands; thus, acts on God's command - knowing that, in His own time, God will tell him what he is to do with it.
2. Having secured the bottle, Jeremiah is to take with him, to "the valley of the Son of Hinnom" (which is outside the East gate of Jerusalem), some of the elders of the people, and of the priests.
3. There he is to proclaim whatever the Lord commands - which means that Jeremiah cannot be concerned about semantic, effect, tact or diplomacy; he is to proclaim the WORD OF THE LORD faithfully!
Vs. 3-9: A WARNING OF IMPENDING JUDGMENT UPON UNREPENTED SIN
3 And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. 4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: 6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. 7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 8 And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof. 9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.
1. The kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, are summoned to hear "the word of Jehovah" - the Lord of hosts and the God of Israel - Who is sending such a message of judgment as will cause their ears to tingle, (vs. 3; 6:19; I Sam. 3:11-14; 4:18).
2. Nor does He leave room for them to question WHY; the necessity of divine judgment is clearly stated, (vs. 4-5).
a. They have forsaken the Lord, (2:13-17; 17:13; Isa. 65:11-12), and desecrated His holy temple, (Ezek. 7:22; Dan. 11:31).
b. They have burned incense to other gods, (7:9-11; 11:13, 17).
c. They have shed innocent blood, (2:34; 2 Kings 21:16; 24:4).
d. They have built altars to Baal and murdered their own children - forcing them into the fire as a burnt-offering to Baal (7:31; 32:25; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chron. 28:2-3; 33:6).
e. All this is contrary to the mind, heart, purpose and word of Jehovah, their God!
3. That the valley of Tophet is to be re-named "the valley of slaughter" forebodes incomprehensible tragedy, (vs. 6-8).
a. The plans of Judah and Jerusalem will be "poured out" like water, (8:8-9; Psa 33:10-11; Isa. 28:1 7-18).
b. The people will be cut down by the sword of their enemies - their bodies given to the birds and beasts for food! (15:2, 9; 16:4; Psa. 79:1-3).
c. Jerusalem will be so desolated that by passers will express both astonishment and derision that the once proud and haughty people should have come to such an end, (vs. 8; 18:16; I Kings 9:8-9; 2 Chron. 7:19-22; comp. Lam. 2:15-16).
4. The siege that is to be laid against Jerusalem will drive its inhabitants to such desperation that they will actually become cannibalistic - EATING THEIR OWN CHILDREN! (vs. 9; comp. Deut 28:53; Lam. 4:10).
Vs. 10-13: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BROKEN BOTTLE
10 Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, 11 And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. 12 Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: 13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
1. Adding drama to the announcement, Jeremiah is to break the clay bottle before his audience - symbolizing the righteous judgment that the Divine and Sovereign Potter of Israel is to bring upon the vessel that is too marred to fulfill His original purpose for it, (vs. 10-11).
a. Having so flagrantly violated God's high and holy purpose to make them vessels of honor, for His own glory, they are USELESS! (2 Tim. 2:20).
b. This breaking is to be done in sight of the elders who go with him to Tophet - the valley of the Son of Hinnom.
c. And Jeremiah is to declare that "Jehovah of hosts" will so break Judah and Jerusalem - shattering them beyond repair, (vs. 11; comp. Psa 2:9; Isa, 30:12-14).
d. Tophet will be their burying place until it overflows, (7:32-33).
2. Jerusalem and its inhabitants will become as Tophet - unclean, so, fit only for burning! (vs. 12-13; Psa 74:7; 79:1-3; comp. Ezk. 7:21-22).
a. This will include the houses of kings and people, (52:12-13).
b. On their rooftops they have burned incense to the astral deities - pouring out drink offerings to foreign gods, (32:29; Zeph. 1:4-5; Jer. 8:1-2; 7:18; 44:17-19).
c. It is surely worth noting that the Lord inevitably permitted His people to be brought into bondage by those nations whose gods they chose to worship!
Vs. 14-15: PROCLAIMING JUDGMENT IN THE TEMPLE COURT
14 Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S HOUSE; and said to all the people, 15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
1. From Tophet the Lord sent Jeremiah to proclaim the same message within the court of the temple, in Jerusalem.
2. The Lord is bringing upon Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, all the judgments that He has pronounced against them, (26:2-7).
3. If they ask "WHY," the reason is clear:
a. In their stubbornness, they have stiffened their necks against God's holy covenant purpose, (7:26; 17:23).
b. In an inexcusable violation of covenant love, they have REFUSED TO HEED His word! (Neh. 9:16-17, 29; comp. Acts 7:51).
|
