Jer 25:3-8 | KingComments | STEP | In this chapter we go back to the reign of Jehoiakim ( ), for the previous chapter is about the time of Zedekiah. The prophecies of Jeremiah 1-12 take place during the reign of Josiah. After that, no special time is mentioned and we must see if it is the time of Jehoiakim, Zedekiah or Gedaliah. Here we are in the fourth year of Jehoiakim which is at the same time the first year of Nebuchadnezzar (cf. ). With the first year of Nebuchadnezzar begin “the times of the Gentiles” ( ). He is given world domination. This is followed by three other empires with world dominion, the description of which is found in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. Since the time Jeremiah began prophesying, the political situation has changed greatly. When he begins, Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, has been destroyed by the attacks of Babylon. Babylon then increases in power, but Egypt still has dominion over Israel. This did not last long. At the battle of Carchemish, Babylon defeated Egypt ( ) and took over world power and with it power over Israel. This is the battle in which Josiah interfered, a battle that did not concern him and in which he lost his life ( ). Jeremiah can then still move freely among the people and call them to submission to the king of Babylon ( ). However, the people do not want that. He delivers his message because the LORD speaks to him ( ). From the thirteenth year of Josiah until now, his message has sounded. That is a period of twenty-three years: nineteen years under Josiah and four years under Jehoiakim. He is here about at or just past the halfway point of his service as a prophet. In addition to Jeremiah, the LORD has sent other prophets, such as Zephaniah ( ), but the people do not listen. In fact, they are averse and do not heed the calls of the prophets at all, they ignore them ( ). The message is clear. They must repent, each one personally, of their evil ways and evil deeds ( ). The promises are also clear. They will live forever in the land that the LORD has given them and their fathers. We see here the patience of God. God does not like to punish. He will do anything to bring a person to repentance. He is working “again and again [literally: rising early and sending]” to reach them, that is, not slowly and not mundanely, but from early in the morning till late in the evening, as long as a person can be reached. In this way, He devotes Himself to seeking the salvation of a person – and in this case of His people. Only when it appears that a person – or His people – absolutely does not want to, He brings the judgment, because He cannot do otherwise. The call has constantly sounded to not go after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them ( ). He has let them know that they will provoke Him to wrath if they bow down to the work of their hands. He will not harm them if they stop to do so. The conclusion, unfortunately, must be that they have not listened to Him and, on the contrary, have provoked Him to anger by the work of their hands ( ). In so doing, they have done themselves harm.

‏ Jeremiah 25:3-8

Israel Rejects Prophetic Service

In this chapter we go back to the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer 25:1), for the previous chapter is about the time of Zedekiah. The prophecies of Jeremiah 1-12 take place during the reign of Josiah. After that, no special time is mentioned and we must see if it is the time of Jehoiakim, Zedekiah or Gedaliah. Here we are in the fourth year of Jehoiakim which is at the same time the first year of Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Jer 36:1 ; Jer 45:1 ; Jer 46:2). With the first year of Nebuchadnezzar begin “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk 21:24). He is given world domination. This is followed by three other empires with world dominion, the description of which is found in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.

Since the time Jeremiah began prophesying, the political situation has changed greatly. When he begins, Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, has been destroyed by the attacks of Babylon. Babylon then increases in power, but Egypt still has dominion over Israel. This did not last long. At the battle of Carchemish, Babylon defeated Egypt (Jer 46:2) and took over world power and with it power over Israel. This is the battle in which Josiah interfered, a battle that did not concern him and in which he lost his life (2Chr 35:20-24).

Jeremiah can then still move freely among the people and call them to submission to the king of Babylon (Jer 25:2). However, the people do not want that. He delivers his message because the LORD speaks to him (Jer 25:3). From the thirteenth year of Josiah until now, his message has sounded. That is a period of twenty-three years: nineteen years under Josiah and four years under Jehoiakim. He is here about at or just past the halfway point of his service as a prophet. In addition to Jeremiah, the LORD has sent other prophets, such as Zephaniah (Zep 1:1), but the people do not listen. In fact, they are averse and do not heed the calls of the prophets at all, they ignore them (Jer 25:4).

The message is clear. They must repent, each one personally, of their evil ways and evil deeds (Jer 25:5). The promises are also clear. They will live forever in the land that the LORD has given them and their fathers. We see here the patience of God. God does not like to punish. He will do anything to bring a person to repentance. He is working “again and again [literally: rising early and sending]” to reach them, that is, not slowly and not mundanely, but from early in the morning till late in the evening, as long as a person can be reached. In this way, He devotes Himself to seeking the salvation of a person – and in this case of His people. Only when it appears that a person – or His people – absolutely does not want to, He brings the judgment, because He cannot do otherwise.

The call has constantly sounded to not go after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them (Jer 25:6). He has let them know that they will provoke Him to wrath if they bow down to the work of their hands. He will not harm them if they stop to do so. The conclusion, unfortunately, must be that they have not listened to Him and, on the contrary, have provoked Him to anger by the work of their hands (Jer 25:7). In so doing, they have done themselves harm.

Prediction of Exile

The LORD has no choice but to bring judgment on them. It is because they have not listened to His words (Jer 25:8). Through His servant Nebuchadnezzar, He will execute judgment (Jer 25:9). He calls Nebuchadnezzar “My servant” (cf. Jer 27:6 ; Jer 43:10) because he will do what He has set out to do to His people and also to the surrounding nations. It is a disgrace to Israel – who should be the LORD’s servant – that He gives this name to a heathen ruler and that He must use him to discipline His own people.

Through Nebuchadnezzar, the LORD will take away everything from His people that gives joy to people (Jer 25:10). No more joyful events will take place and no more expressions of joy will be heard; nothing will come from the land that can be ground to make bread; there will be no more oil to give light. In a spiritual sense, it means that love and joy will disappear and spiritual food and the light of the Spirit will be absent. God’s people will end up in famine and spiritual darkness. It is always a sad experience when we see homes or families where there used to be joy have been destroyed by sin that has gained entrance into one or more members of that family.

The judgment will last for seventy years (Jer 25:11). Then the land will receive its sabbaths, which the people out of greed did not give the land for so long. As a result, the people have disobeyed the word of the LORD concerning this (Lev 25:3-4 ; Lev 26:33-35; 2Chr 36:20-21). During that time, the people will be in exile, taken away to Babylon. It is the first announcement about the length of the period of exile. Seventy years is the period of a human life (Psa 90:10a; Isa 23:15).