Jer 25:15-26 | KingComments | STEP | The nations around Israel will not escape God’s wrath either. Jeremiah must give “this cup of the wine of wrath” from God’s hand and cause all the nations to drink it ( ). The cup is a familiar picture in Scripture to denote the wrath of God ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ). Also against the nations God will send His servant, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is His sword that He sends among them ( ). This will strike them in such a way that they will stagger and go mad, they will lose control of their way and of their minds. As a faithful prophet, Jeremiah does what the LORD says to him. It is not a pleasant task, but he takes the cup from the LORD’s hand and gives it to all the nations to whom the LORD has sent him to drink it ( ). The disasters that come upon the nations are carried out by satan, for evil rulers conquer and exterminate the nations. They are not guided by God, but by satan. Yet even satan is ultimately nothing more than a tool in God’s hand to bring the nations to the acknowledgment that He, the LORD, is God. The LORD begins this judgment on the nations ( ) with the judgment on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes ( ; ). Jerusalem and Judah have learned nothing from God’s judgment on the ten tribes, who have already been carried away at this point. Then follow the judgments on the other nations. The judgments on many nations mentioned here, Jeremiah will describe in more detail later in this book, in Jeremiah 46-51. By Sesach ( ) is meant, so several interpreters assume, Babylon, which is plausible after the enumeration of the previous empires. After the judgments that Babylon, as the disciplinary rod of the LORD, carried out on the various nations, that people themselves will have to drink the cup of God’s wrath. They deserve that judgment because they too have been guilty of many offences. They have learned nothing from the judgments they have exercised, but have done so in pride. We will be wise to use the little bit of knowledge we possess with wisdom. Wisdom we can gain through experience, through life lessons from our own lives, but also through what we see in the lives of others. What we see in others we should take to heart. That will save us from much personal suffering. Jeremiah is to speak to the nations on behalf of “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel” ( ). On His behalf he must say that God is sending His sword among them through Babylon, so that they will turn back to Him. If they do not, they will not rise again. Refusal to undergo God’s discipline calls for its even more forceful exercise of it ( ). The LORD points out that He does not spare His own city, but begins His judgment right there ( ; cf. ; ). Then the nations must not think that they will escape equally righteous judgment that will come on them because of their many and persistent sins ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 25:15-26

The Cup of God’s Wrath

The nations around Israel will not escape God’s wrath either. Jeremiah must give “this cup of the wine of wrath” from God’s hand and cause all the nations to drink it (Jer 25:15). The cup is a familiar picture in Scripture to denote the wrath of God (Jer 49:12 ; Jer 51:7; Job 21:20; Isa 51:17 ; 22; Eze 23:31; Mk 10:39 ; Mk 14:36; Jn 18:11; Rev 14:8 ; 10 ; Rev 16:19 ; Rev 18:6). Also against the nations God will send His servant, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is His sword that He sends among them (Jer 25:16). This will strike them in such a way that they will stagger and go mad, they will lose control of their way and of their minds.

As a faithful prophet, Jeremiah does what the LORD says to him. It is not a pleasant task, but he takes the cup from the LORD’s hand and gives it to all the nations to whom the LORD has sent him to drink it (Jer 25:17). The disasters that come upon the nations are carried out by satan, for evil rulers conquer and exterminate the nations. They are not guided by God, but by satan. Yet even satan is ultimately nothing more than a tool in God’s hand to bring the nations to the acknowledgment that He, the LORD, is God.

The LORD begins this judgment on the nations (Jer 25:18-26) with the judgment on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes (Jer 25:18; Jer 25:29). Jerusalem and Judah have learned nothing from God’s judgment on the ten tribes, who have already been carried away at this point. Then follow the judgments on the other nations. The judgments on many nations mentioned here, Jeremiah will describe in more detail later in this book, in Jeremiah 46-51.

By Sesach (Jer 25:26) is meant, so several interpreters assume, Babylon, which is plausible after the enumeration of the previous empires. After the judgments that Babylon, as the disciplinary rod of the LORD, carried out on the various nations, that people themselves will have to drink the cup of God’s wrath. They deserve that judgment because they too have been guilty of many offences. They have learned nothing from the judgments they have exercised, but have done so in pride.

We will be wise to use the little bit of knowledge we possess with wisdom. Wisdom we can gain through experience, through life lessons from our own lives, but also through what we see in the lives of others. What we see in others we should take to heart. That will save us from much personal suffering.

Jeremiah is to speak to the nations on behalf of “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel” (Jer 25:27). On His behalf he must say that God is sending His sword among them through Babylon, so that they will turn back to Him. If they do not, they will not rise again. Refusal to undergo God’s discipline calls for its even more forceful exercise of it (Jer 25:28). The LORD points out that He does not spare His own city, but begins His judgment right there (Jer 25:29; cf. 1Pet 4:17; Eze 9:6). Then the nations must not think that they will escape equally righteous judgment that will come on them because of their many and persistent sins (Pro 11:31).