Jer 44:10 | KingComments | STEP | The word comes again to Jeremiah ( ). It is a word for all the Jews living in Egypt. They have spread from Tahpanhes, where they came collectively into Egypt ( ), to other cities in Egypt mentioned here. Four places are mentioned, three in northern Egypt: Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and one in southern Egypt: Pathros. The mention of these places shows how quickly the Jews spread throughout Egypt, from north to south. In Jeremiah gives his listeners a history lesson that shows the human cause and the Divine response of the ruin that Jerusalem has become. We are further in time here than in the previous chapter. Also in Egypt, the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, speaks through Jeremiah to the Jews ( ). He reminds them of the calamity He has brought upon Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, which they have seen themselves. They have also experienced it firsthand that the cities have become a shambles and that no man lives there anymore. The LORD also reminds them of the cause ( ). The calamity has come upon them because of their wickedness, with which they have provoked Him to anger. That wickedness is specified. It is the wickedness of burning sacrifices to other gods with whom they never had any connection, neither they nor their fathers. Here is the root of all mischief: idolatry. Nor did they offer these sacrifices once in a while, but persevered with it. Through His servants, the prophets, the LORD has seriously warned them of this over and over again ( ). He has let His people know through them that these are horrible things that He hates. We hear here how intensely God’s feelings are grieved by this evil. Idolatry is a deep insult to Him. It is giving honor to something other than Him, which means giving honor to the devil and his demons who are behind the idol ( ). God hates idolatry. However, they did not listen and did not repent. They did not stop these abominable practices ( ). Therefore, the LORD has poured out His wrath and anger on them which has raged like a fire in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem ( ). The result is that they are now a ruin and a desolation. After this review, the LORD asks why they do this great evil ( ). He puts it this way, that they do this great evil to themselves. They plunge themselves, man and woman, child and infant, into destruction, with no one left. The ruin is total. It is also a mystery today why people continue to live a certain way of life with bad, harmful habits, knowing that it is taking them to the abyss, that they are in the process of killing themselves. If Christ is not our life, the flesh, the world and the devil have complete power over us. They do it to themselves, for the anger of the LORD comes upon them because they burn sacrifices to other gods also in Egypt ( ). Once again the LORD says that by doing so they will cut off themselves. They will also become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth and not a testimony to His Name, which is what He so much wanted them to be. They are in the process of exterminating themselves as a nation, they want to commit national suicide. The German philosopher Hegel rightly said: “What experience and history teach is that people and governments have never learned anything from history.” So it is with these Jews in Egypt. How disheartening it must have been for Jeremiah. All his life he preached against this idolatry in Judah and now the Jews are committing the same sin in Egypt that caused the fall of Jerusalem. Once again, the LORD reminds them of the past ( ). He brings to their attention the evil deeds of their fathers, and also those of the kings of Judah. Then He points them to their own evil deeds and the evil deeds of their wives. Their wives openly practiced idolatry in Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Despite all the calamity that has come upon them, to this day there is no repentance or even a trace of contrite ( ). There is not even any fear of the newly announced judgments. How hardened a heart can be! A person hardens himself when he continues to oppose God and His Word and does not walk according to it.

‏ Jeremiah 44:10

Exhortation to Learn From the Past

The word comes again to Jeremiah (Jer 44:1). It is a word for all the Jews living in Egypt. They have spread from Tahpanhes, where they came collectively into Egypt (Jer 43:7), to other cities in Egypt mentioned here. Four places are mentioned, three in northern Egypt: Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and one in southern Egypt: Pathros. The mention of these places shows how quickly the Jews spread throughout Egypt, from north to south.

In Jer 44:2-6 Jeremiah gives his listeners a history lesson that shows the human cause and the Divine response of the ruin that Jerusalem has become. We are further in time here than in the previous chapter. Also in Egypt, the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, speaks through Jeremiah to the Jews (Jer 44:2). He reminds them of the calamity He has brought upon Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, which they have seen themselves. They have also experienced it firsthand that the cities have become a shambles and that no man lives there anymore.

The LORD also reminds them of the cause (Jer 44:3). The calamity has come upon them because of their wickedness, with which they have provoked Him to anger. That wickedness is specified. It is the wickedness of burning sacrifices to other gods with whom they never had any connection, neither they nor their fathers. Here is the root of all mischief: idolatry. Nor did they offer these sacrifices once in a while, but persevered with it.

Through His servants, the prophets, the LORD has seriously warned them of this over and over again (Jer 44:4). He has let His people know through them that these are horrible things that He hates. We hear here how intensely God’s feelings are grieved by this evil. Idolatry is a deep insult to Him. It is giving honor to something other than Him, which means giving honor to the devil and his demons who are behind the idol (1Cor 10:19-20). God hates idolatry.

However, they did not listen and did not repent. They did not stop these abominable practices (Jer 44:5). Therefore, the LORD has poured out His wrath and anger on them which has raged like a fire in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem (Jer 44:6). The result is that they are now a ruin and a desolation.

After this review, the LORD asks why they do this great evil (Jer 44:7). He puts it this way, that they do this great evil to themselves. They plunge themselves, man and woman, child and infant, into destruction, with no one left. The ruin is total. It is also a mystery today why people continue to live a certain way of life with bad, harmful habits, knowing that it is taking them to the abyss, that they are in the process of killing themselves. If Christ is not our life, the flesh, the world and the devil have complete power over us.

They do it to themselves, for the anger of the LORD comes upon them because they burn sacrifices to other gods also in Egypt (Jer 44:8). Once again the LORD says that by doing so they will cut off themselves. They will also become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth and not a testimony to His Name, which is what He so much wanted them to be.

They are in the process of exterminating themselves as a nation, they want to commit national suicide. The German philosopher Hegel rightly said: “What experience and history teach is that people and governments have never learned anything from history.” So it is with these Jews in Egypt. How disheartening it must have been for Jeremiah. All his life he preached against this idolatry in Judah and now the Jews are committing the same sin in Egypt that caused the fall of Jerusalem.

Once again, the LORD reminds them of the past (Jer 44:9). He brings to their attention the evil deeds of their fathers, and also those of the kings of Judah. Then He points them to their own evil deeds and the evil deeds of their wives. Their wives openly practiced idolatry in Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Despite all the calamity that has come upon them, to this day there is no repentance or even a trace of contrite (Jer 44:10). There is not even any fear of the newly announced judgments. How hardened a heart can be! A person hardens himself when he continues to oppose God and His Word and does not walk according to it.