By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 29

JEREMIAH'S MESSAGE TO THE EXILES OF BABYLON

    Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; 2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) 3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ) saying, 4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; 5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. 8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. 10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

    1. The setting for this chapter is Jerusalem, in the days of Zedekiah, (vs. 1-3).
      a. Here is a rare biblical example of the correspondence that flowed between nations in ancient times - even when one nation was a subject nation to the other.
      b. Upon the fall of Jeconiah's regime in Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive, not only the king and queen-mother, but more than three thousand other persons, to Babylon - princes, priests, prophets, craftsmen, smiths, etc., (52:28).
      c. Word has come to Jeremiah that some of the pseudo prophets among the captives, like Hananiah in Jerusalem, were predicting the speedy collapse of the Babylonian Empire, and were promising that the exiles could soon return to their own homes.
      d. Deeply concerned for his exiled brethren, Jeremiah was moved to warn them against such self-delusion by means of this letter, which was delivered, by Elasah and Gemariah.
        1) Elasah, son of Shaphan (vs. 3) appears to have been a brother of Ahikam, whose influence was a blessing to Jeremiah (26:24), and a grandson of Josiah's scribe, (2 Kings 22:8).
        2) Gemariah was evidently the son of Hilkiah, the high priest, (2 Kings 22:4), rather than being the brother of Jeremiah, whose father was also named Hilkiah (1:1).
        3) The delivery of Jeremiah's letter to the exiles was merely "incidental" - the trip being planned to transact some business between Zedekiah and Nebuchadnezzar.
    2. Since the Lord their God has caused them to be taken captive to Babylon, their best policy will be to accept His wise, providential and sovereign direction over the lives, and be content with it, (vs. 5-6).
      a. They may as well plan to settle themselves there and live as normally as possible - building houses and planting gardens for their own use, (vs. 5, 10, 28).
      b. Family life is to proceed along normal lines: marriage, reproduction and the strengthening of their numbers is a part of God's plan for their lives, (vs. 6; contr. 16:2-4).
    3. Furthermore, they were to seek the welfare of the city to which they were exiled (comp. Dan. 4:27; 6:4-5) - even praying to Jehovah for its peace - the only instance in the Old Testament where a prophet commands the people of God to pray for a pagan city! (vs. 7; comp. Ezra 6:10; 7:23; Dan. 4:19; I Tim. 2:1-2).
      a. How strange the advice of this man, Jeremiah, to the thinking of the Jewish mind!
        1) They seemed to think that Jehovah could not hear a prayer outside the covenant land.
        2) Yet, the voice that spoke through Jeremiah was, obviously, the voice of Jehovah.
        3) And He would not be pleased with such miserable self-pity as was later expressed in Psalm 137:3-4.
      b. In the peace of Babylon the exiles would find their own peace; Jehovah had not abandoned them; He still watched for their best interest!
    4. They must not be deceived by the prophets, diviners and dreamers who are telling them what they want to hear, (comp. 27:9; 14:14; 23:25, 27); they are not telling the truth, (27:15); Jehovah has not sent them! (vs. 8-9, 31).
    5. Then they are told exactly how long Babylon will be master over them (70 years) - after which the Lord will visit them and permit their return to Jerusalem, (vs. 10-11).
      a. He has already declared His intention to bless the exiles, (24:6-7).
      b. His good word toward them will certainly be fulfilled, (vs. 10b; Zeph. 2:7).
      c. His thoughts toward them are good thoughts of peace, not of hurt - to give them a future, and hope! (vs. 11; 23:5-6; 30:9-10; 18:22; Psa. 40:5; Isa. 40:9-11; Jer. 31:17; Hos. 2:14-15).
    6. Jehovah has NOT abandoned the exiles; here is a fresh opportunity for them to know the blessedness of His nearness! (vs. 12-14).
      a. If they will call upon Him, He promises to hear, (vs. 12; 33:3; Psa. 50:15; 145:18-19).
      b. If they will seek Him with all their hearts, they will surely find Him gracious, (vs. 13; 24:7; comp. Deut. 4:29; I Chron. 22:19).
    7. At the appointed time He will bring an end to their captivity - returning them, and their brethren which are scattered among all nations - to their homeland in peace, (vs. 14; 30:3; 32:37-41; Isa. 43:5-6).
      a. The return under Cyrus was only a PARTIAL fulfillment of this prophecy.
      b. The ultimate blessing awaits the return of Messiah Whom the nations rejected at His first coming.

    15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; 16 Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD. 20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

    1. The exiled Jews appear to be comforted by the thought that Jehovah has raised up prophets among them who promise an early return to their homeland (vs. 15).
    2. For this reason, the Lord commands Jeremiah to inform those exiles of what they are REALLY missing by God's gracious and early deliverance of them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, (vs. 16-17).
      a. The prospect awaiting the king and people who are left in the land of Judah is not one of prosperity and peace, (27:8; 32:34).
      b. The Lord is sending against them the sword, famine and disease - so pursuing them as to make them a consternation to all the kingdoms of the earth.
      c. They are like vile figs that are so putrid they cannot be eaten; they are of NO BENEFIT to the Lord their God! (24:3, 8-10).
    3. Just as knowledge of His majestic acts toward Israel had been made known - to the fear of surrounding nations; so will they know of His mighty judgments upon her sin! (vs. 18-19).
      a. They will live in terror and reproach among the nations to which the Lord will drive them, (comp. 42:18; Isa. 65:15; Lam. 2:15-16).
      b. Their calamity will come as a direct result of their willful rebellion against those servants whom Jehovah has sent to call them to repentance, (6:19; 19:15; Prov. 1:31).
    4. The exiles are, therefore, to recognize their own good fortune and cease their struggle against the merciful providence of their God, (vs. 20; comp. 24:5; Nahum 1:7).

    21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; 22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

    1. Ahab, son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah, son of Maaseiah, have proclaimed lies to the exiles in the name of Jehovah, (vs. 21-22).
      a. In His wrath, the Lord will deliver these lying prophets into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar against whom they are encouraging insurrection, (vs. 21a).
      b. As the servant of Jehovah, Nebuchadnezzar will slay these wicked men before the eyes of their brethren, (vs. 21b).
      c. The curse that the exiles are to use against future prophets who encourage them to walk contrary to the ways of Jehovah, indicates that Nebuchadnezzar roasted them with fire - just as he intended to do with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, (vs. 22; Isa. 65:15; Dan. 3:19-25).
      d. Hananiah had already received his punishment for falsely representing Jehovah; Ahab and Zedekiah are about to go to what they deserve; Jehovah is jealous for the honor of His name!
    2. These men had walked in utter disregard for any moral or spiritual sensitivity - living in gross immorality, (vs. 23; comp. Gen. 34:7; 2 Sam. 13:12).
      a. They had committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, (vs. 23a; comp. 5:7-8; 23:13-14).
      b. They had spoken falsely in the name of Jehovah - declaring things that He did not command, (vs. 23b).
    3. Every rebellious heart should be startled into reality by the self-revelation of Jehovah in the latter part of verse 23: "I am He who KNOWETH, and am witness," ASV, (comp. 7:11; 16:17; Prov. 5:21; Heb. 4:13).
      a. If the people of God are confused by contrary messages - all claiming to be from above - there IS one way to clarify the situation; ask someone who knows.
        1) God is that Someone!
        2) He knows ALL; there is nothing hidden from His view or understanding!
      b. He bears witness to what He knows, and wants His people to know. According to G. Campbell Morgan, There are three basic ways by which He makes known, to men, what He knows in their behalf.
        1) He reminds us of the lessons of history - from which we ought, at least, to learn some general principles.
        2) By inspired messages, as men of God are borne along by the power of the Holy Spirit: upward, to a higher plateau of understanding; outward, toward the boundaries of the Divine government; and inward, to the very heart and wisdom of God.
    3. God also makes known through His providential arrangement of such circumstances as will lead us to the recognition of the truth concerning ourselves.

    24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. 27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? 28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

    1. Shemaiah the Nehelamite, a false prophet who had been taken captive to Babylon with the first group of exiles, was displeased with Jeremiah's letter to the captives, (vs. 28).
    2. Thus, he assumed the right to counteract this by sending letters to Jerusalem, which he claimed were in the name of Jehovah, (vs. 25-28).
      a. These letters were addressed to: the citizens of Jerusalem, Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to the priests, (vs. 25).
      b. They gave orders for the replacement of certain men with whom Shemaiah was displeased - specifically directing that Jehoiada, the priest, be replaced by Zephaniah whom, he assumed, would be more likely to carry out his wishes.
      c. He was particularly concerned to have officers in the temple that would carry out his scheme to imprison, and silence the voice of, such men as Jeremiah of Anathoth, (vs. 26-27); in fact, he cannot understand why this man has not ALREADY been put to silence!
    3. Instead of implementing the plans of Shemaiah, Zephaniah read the letter to Jeremiah, (vs. 29).
    4. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah commanding him to send a second letter to his exiled brethren - exposing the pious pretender who was presuming to lead them astray. (vs. 25, 30-32).
      a. The things that Shemaiah has prophesied to them are lies; he is NOT God's man; nor has the Lord sent him! (Remember, Jehovah is the One Who KNOWS and MAKES KNOWN!)
      b. He has encouraged the exiles to trust in a lie.
      c. The Lord will, therefore, punish his seed; there will not be one of them left to dwell among God's people, (comp. 22:30; I Sam. 2:30-34).
      d. Neither will any of them behold the good that the Lord has purposed for those who are exiled in Babylon, (comp. vs. 10; 2 Kings 7:2, 19-20).
      e. Thus, He manifests His unchanging attitude toward all who encourage rebellion among His people, (comp. 28:16; Deut. 13:5).