Jer 16:2-4 | KingComments | STEP | In the section that now demands our attention, we no longer hear the seer’s gentle supplication in favor of Judah. He has pleaded tirelessly when there seemed to be hope of averting the impending disaster. But there is no repentance on the part of the people. The holiness of God demands that sin in those who are so closely associated with His Name should not be lightly passed over. This section is a serious indictment from His side, showing why His hand must be against them, however much His heart goes out to them even now. The word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah ( ). The LORD tells him not to marry, which also means that he will not have sons and daughters ( ). By “this place” is meant Jerusalem. Such a command or prohibition is extraordinary. Marriage – and directly related to it, having children – is part of God’s plan for life ( ; ). The command not to marry or the desire not to marry is exceptional. It is not comparable to Paul’s advice that it is better not to marry, for that advice he gives “in view of the present distress” in which the people of the world find themselves ( ; cf. ). The personal life of a prophet is in the service of the LORD (cf. ; ; ). A prophet preaches to the people not only through his words, but also through his personal circumstances. Normally a man marries. The fact that Jeremiah is not allowed to marry carries the message to the people of Jerusalem that judgment will come and therefore it is pointless for him to start a family. It indicates the end of the connection between the people and the LORD. That he will have no children points to the total desolation of the city as the result of the severing of the connection between the LORD and Jerusalem. What the LORD says to Jeremiah is not a general call to all who are God-fearing not to marry. Nor is it advice to believers in countries where there is a chance that their children will be raised by the state, as was the case with Moses, for example. Nor is it an exhortation not to marry and not to have children in times of war in order to spare oneself or any children the difficulties that these things bring at such a time. Jeremiah’s personal circumstances serve as a sign to the people. It is a mercy of the LORD that He spares Jeremiah the suffering that would come upon his descendants (cf. ). The sons and daughters who do give birth in Jerusalem will perish, along with the mothers who gave birth to them and the fathers who conceived them ( ). The married ones and their children will die of deadly diseases ( ). They will not be mourned. There will be no burial ceremony where mourning can be expressed. For they shall not be buried, but shall be dung upon on the surface of the ground. Others will perish by the sword and still others by hunger. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth. This is quite a dramatic ending to a marriage and the children born of it. The prophet is also not allowed to attend funerals ( ). He may not unite with the mourning of the people because the LORD has taken away from them His “peace …, lovingkindness and compassion”. It is precisely these features of God that are so necessary for life in an end time, in which we too live. We may and should wish these features for one another (cf. ). If they are taken away, we are irretrievably lost. We see that here. God’s judgment rests on them and Jeremiah must accept that. If the LORD no longer shows compassion, he may not show it either. If he were to unite with their mourning, it would render his message powerless. The whole land will become one great mourning center ( ). “Great men and small”, that is, the people of distinction and the people of low rank, will die, but not be buried. There will be no, permissible, lament over the dead. But neither will there be, unlawful, heathen expressions of grief. Gashing the body and making oneself bald are heathen practices and forbidden to God’s people ( ; ). However, these practices are found among God’s people ( ; : ; ). The usual mourning customs will not take place ( ). It is customary to take food to the family of the deceased, eat the meal with them and comfort them in their grief. In this case it will not happen because there is no one to comfort. Also, there is no one to give the cup of comfort because of the death of one’s father or mother. Breaking bread and drinking from the cup to remember a dead person we see also at the institution of the Supper by the Lord Jesus. On that occasion the Lord gives this old custom a new, unique meaning and connects it with new truths ( ; ). He connects this custom to the Passover, for then He institutes the Lord’s Supper. Of the Passover we know that it speaks of Him and of the work of redemption He has done ( ). Jeremiah is also no longer allowed to attend festive occasions such as weddings ( ). That he is no longer allowed to fulfill his social obligations, such as visiting those who mourn or those who celebrate, will have made him all the more an object of contempt. He will feel even more lonely than he already does. What it must have been like for Jeremiah, always being negative, always announcing judgment. He did have an especially hard service. When asked about his ‘anti-social’ behavior, he must answer that “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel”, will cause all joy to cease from Jerusalem ( ). Jeremiah will be an eyewitness to it, for the LORD will do it before his eyes. When Jerusalem is surrendered into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, there is no longer a voice of joy. All the voices of joy are summed up in “the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride”. The joy that is present at a wedding is the highest joy that can be found on earth. That joy, which God Himself gave because He Himself instituted marriage, is now being taken away by Himself. Because of the judgment He is executing, there will be no more marriages, because of the lack of people.

‏ Jeremiah 16:2-4

Introduction

In the section that now demands our attention, we no longer hear the seer’s gentle supplication in favor of Judah. He has pleaded tirelessly when there seemed to be hope of averting the impending disaster. But there is no repentance on the part of the people.

The holiness of God demands that sin in those who are so closely associated with His Name should not be lightly passed over. This section is a serious indictment from His side, showing why His hand must be against them, however much His heart goes out to them even now.

The Solitude of Jeremiah

The word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah (Jer 16:1). The LORD tells him not to marry, which also means that he will not have sons and daughters (Jer 16:2). By “this place” is meant Jerusalem. Such a command or prohibition is extraordinary. Marriage – and directly related to it, having children – is part of God’s plan for life (Gen 1:28 ; Gen 2:18; Deu 7:14). The command not to marry or the desire not to marry is exceptional. It is not comparable to Paul’s advice that it is better not to marry, for that advice he gives “in view of the present distress” in which the people of the world find themselves (1Cor 7:26; cf. Mt 19:12b).

The personal life of a prophet is in the service of the LORD (cf. Isa 8:18; Eze 24:15-27; Hos 1:2-3). A prophet preaches to the people not only through his words, but also through his personal circumstances. Normally a man marries. The fact that Jeremiah is not allowed to marry carries the message to the people of Jerusalem that judgment will come and therefore it is pointless for him to start a family. It indicates the end of the connection between the people and the LORD. That he will have no children points to the total desolation of the city as the result of the severing of the connection between the LORD and Jerusalem.

What the LORD says to Jeremiah is not a general call to all who are God-fearing not to marry. Nor is it advice to believers in countries where there is a chance that their children will be raised by the state, as was the case with Moses, for example. Nor is it an exhortation not to marry and not to have children in times of war in order to spare oneself or any children the difficulties that these things bring at such a time. Jeremiah’s personal circumstances serve as a sign to the people.

It is a mercy of the LORD that He spares Jeremiah the suffering that would come upon his descendants (cf. Lk 23:29). The sons and daughters who do give birth in Jerusalem will perish, along with the mothers who gave birth to them and the fathers who conceived them (Jer 16:3). The married ones and their children will die of deadly diseases (Jer 16:4).

They will not be mourned. There will be no burial ceremony where mourning can be expressed. For they shall not be buried, but shall be dung upon on the surface of the ground. Others will perish by the sword and still others by hunger. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth. This is quite a dramatic ending to a marriage and the children born of it.

The prophet is also not allowed to attend funerals (Jer 16:5). He may not unite with the mourning of the people because the LORD has taken away from them His “peace …, lovingkindness and compassion”. It is precisely these features of God that are so necessary for life in an end time, in which we too live. We may and should wish these features for one another (cf. 1Tim 1:2). If they are taken away, we are irretrievably lost. We see that here. God’s judgment rests on them and Jeremiah must accept that. If the LORD no longer shows compassion, he may not show it either. If he were to unite with their mourning, it would render his message powerless.

The whole land will become one great mourning center (Jer 16:6). “Great men and small”, that is, the people of distinction and the people of low rank, will die, but not be buried. There will be no, permissible, lament over the dead. But neither will there be, unlawful, heathen expressions of grief. Gashing the body and making oneself bald are heathen practices and forbidden to God’s people (Lev 19:28 ; Lev 21:5; Deu 14:1). However, these practices are found among God’s people (Jer 41:5 ; Jer 47:5; Eze 7:18: Amos 8:10; Mic 1:16).

The usual mourning customs will not take place (Jer 16:7). It is customary to take food to the family of the deceased, eat the meal with them and comfort them in their grief. In this case it will not happen because there is no one to comfort. Also, there is no one to give the cup of comfort because of the death of one’s father or mother.

Breaking bread and drinking from the cup to remember a dead person we see also at the institution of the Supper by the Lord Jesus. On that occasion the Lord gives this old custom a new, unique meaning and connects it with new truths (Mt 26:26-28; 1Cor 10:16). He connects this custom to the Passover, for then He institutes the Lord’s Supper. Of the Passover we know that it speaks of Him and of the work of redemption He has done (1Cor 5:7b).

Jeremiah is also no longer allowed to attend festive occasions such as weddings (Jer 16:8). That he is no longer allowed to fulfill his social obligations, such as visiting those who mourn or those who celebrate, will have made him all the more an object of contempt. He will feel even more lonely than he already does. What it must have been like for Jeremiah, always being negative, always announcing judgment. He did have an especially hard service.

When asked about his ‘anti-social’ behavior, he must answer that “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel”, will cause all joy to cease from Jerusalem (Jer 16:9). Jeremiah will be an eyewitness to it, for the LORD will do it before his eyes. When Jerusalem is surrendered into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, there is no longer a voice of joy. All the voices of joy are summed up in “the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride”.

The joy that is present at a wedding is the highest joy that can be found on earth. That joy, which God Himself gave because He Himself instituted marriage, is now being taken away by Himself. Because of the judgment He is executing, there will be no more marriages, because of the lack of people.