Jer 6:22-23 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD foretells that the apostate people will be overrun by a ruthless people from the north, which is Babylon ( ). Without any mercy they will cause death and destruction around them. The impetuosity with which they come crashing in is like the roaring of the sea, from which one wave follows another. Thus it goes on incessantly. This succession of waves cannot be stopped by any human power. They ride on horses, underlining the speed of their arrival. The men are lined up for battle, indicating their determination. It is all directed against “the daughter of Zion”, indicating that Jerusalem is a desirable target for the oncoming enemy. The mere rumor of the arrival of this enemy causes panic and paralysis, there is total dismay ( ). All courage sinks in. Their throats are constricted by fear. They feel like a woman in childbirth. There is much sorrow that cannot be stopped or undone. There is no point in fleeing, for the sword of the enemy is everywhere ( ). Wherever one looks, there are enemies everywhere. There is literally “terror … on every side”. In , the LORD speaks to His people. He calls for mourning and a lamentation in view of the coming of the destroyer (cf. ). Their mourning should be as profound as if it were the death of an only child. The grief over the death of a child is great, the grief over an only son is extremely great because with it all hope of continuation of the lineage is lost. Therefore it must also be a “most bitter” lamentation. In this deep mourning Jeremiah identifies himself with his people. We see this in the word “us”. The LORD connects to this ( ). He has appointed Jeremiah as one who is completely identified with the people to assay them. His fellowship with the LORD enables him to know and test the way of the people, as the LORD knows it. This presupposes careful and sometimes lengthy examination. Judgment is not pronounced suddenly, in a fit of anger. Also, He has made Jeremiah a fortress [as the word for “tester” can also be translated] for them (cf. ). That is, whoever listens to him will be safe. The conclusion of the assayer Jeremiah is that of all the apostates, his fellow citizens are the worst ( ). This concerns their attitude toward the LORD. This has implications for their relationship to their fellow citizens. They blaspheme the Name of the LORD with unprecedented harshness, “bronze and iron”, and corrupt what is good. Whatever the LORD has tried to do by His judgments to turn His people from their evil ways, it has all been in vain ( ). We can see the bellows as a picture of the means the LORD used to bring His people to repentance. Here we can think of the speaking of the prophets and of the enemies He has sent. The bellows have been burned, they no longer work. The lead did go into the fire and the smelter did his best to melt it and thus purify it, but all effort is in vain: “The wicked are not separated.” On the contrary, it has been shown that the whole nation is made up of bad people, that there is no one who is an exception (cf. ). There are no bad ones to be separated out at all, because there are no good ones. The people as a whole are a base metal. Jeremiah concludes that the LORD must reject them all as unrefined silver, as worthless metal ( ). The LORD cannot do otherwise; their incorrigibility compels Him to do so.

‏ Jeremiah 6:22-23

The Horror of the Enemy

The LORD foretells that the apostate people will be overrun by a ruthless people from the north, which is Babylon (Jer 6:22-23). Without any mercy they will cause death and destruction around them. The impetuosity with which they come crashing in is like the roaring of the sea, from which one wave follows another. Thus it goes on incessantly. This succession of waves cannot be stopped by any human power. They ride on horses, underlining the speed of their arrival. The men are lined up for battle, indicating their determination. It is all directed against “the daughter of Zion”, indicating that Jerusalem is a desirable target for the oncoming enemy.

The mere rumor of the arrival of this enemy causes panic and paralysis, there is total dismay (Jer 6:24). All courage sinks in. Their throats are constricted by fear. They feel like a woman in childbirth. There is much sorrow that cannot be stopped or undone. There is no point in fleeing, for the sword of the enemy is everywhere (Jer 6:25). Wherever one looks, there are enemies everywhere. There is literally “terror … on every side”.

In Jer 6:26, the LORD speaks to His people. He calls for mourning and a lamentation in view of the coming of the destroyer (cf. Jona 3:8). Their mourning should be as profound as if it were the death of an only child. The grief over the death of a child is great, the grief over an only son is extremely great because with it all hope of continuation of the lineage is lost. Therefore it must also be a “most bitter” lamentation. In this deep mourning Jeremiah identifies himself with his people. We see this in the word “us”.

The LORD connects to this (Jer 6:27). He has appointed Jeremiah as one who is completely identified with the people to assay them. His fellowship with the LORD enables him to know and test the way of the people, as the LORD knows it. This presupposes careful and sometimes lengthy examination. Judgment is not pronounced suddenly, in a fit of anger. Also, He has made Jeremiah a fortress [as the word for “tester” can also be translated] for them (cf. Jer 1:18-19). That is, whoever listens to him will be safe.

The conclusion of the assayer Jeremiah is that of all the apostates, his fellow citizens are the worst (Jer 6:28). This concerns their attitude toward the LORD. This has implications for their relationship to their fellow citizens. They blaspheme the Name of the LORD with unprecedented harshness, “bronze and iron”, and corrupt what is good. Whatever the LORD has tried to do by His judgments to turn His people from their evil ways, it has all been in vain (Jer 6:29).

We can see the bellows as a picture of the means the LORD used to bring His people to repentance. Here we can think of the speaking of the prophets and of the enemies He has sent. The bellows have been burned, they no longer work. The lead did go into the fire and the smelter did his best to melt it and thus purify it, but all effort is in vain: “The wicked are not separated.”

On the contrary, it has been shown that the whole nation is made up of bad people, that there is no one who is an exception (cf. Jer 5:1). There are no bad ones to be separated out at all, because there are no good ones. The people as a whole are a base metal. Jeremiah concludes that the LORD must reject them all as unrefined silver, as worthless metal (Jer 6:30). The LORD cannot do otherwise; their incorrigibility compels Him to do so.