Jer 25:11-12 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD has no choice but to bring judgment on them. It is because they have not listened to His words ( ). Through His servant Nebuchadnezzar, He will execute judgment ( ). He calls Nebuchadnezzar “My servant” (cf. ) 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 ( ). 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 ( ). 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 ( ; ). 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 ( ; ).

‏ Jeremiah 25:11-12

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).

Judgment on Babylon

The judgment is limited to seventy years. After those seventy years, the time has come when God will also judge His disciplinary rod, Babylon (Jer 25:12). He will do so because Nebuchadnezzar has gone beyond the LORD’s will in carrying out his mission. The LORD is using Babylon not because of any excellence of that people, but because of the sins of His own people. The nations also reap what they sow. That is a generally valid rule for every person and every nation (Gal 6:7).

God will bring His judgment on Babylon – and also on other nations – according to all that is written in this book of Jeremiah and what Jeremiah has spoken (Jer 25:13). Jeremiah was also appointed a prophet to all the nations (Jer 1:10). God also expressed Himself toward the nations. He will repay all deeds and all the work of man’s hands (Jer 25:14).