The Reign of Jehoiakim (26; 25; 36:1-10; 45; 36:11-21; 35)
Jeremiah 26
1-24 Jeremiah's Prophecies in the Temple (Beginning of Jehoiakim's reign)
- God tells Jeremiah to go stand in the court of the temple and warn the people that if they continue in their evil ways, he will make the city a curse, but if they repent, he might change his mind.
- The priests, prophets and people react by threatening Jeremiah with death, crying, "Why are you prophesying these bad things?" Classic example of killing the messenger because they don't like the message.
- When the officials of Judah hear what Jeremiah has said, they come to the temple, where the priests and prophets tell them Jeremiah deserved to die.
- Jeremiah tells them to do what they have to do, but what he has spoken is God's word, and if they kill him they will be guilty of shedding innocent blood.
- The officials and people tell the priests and prophets that Jeremiah does not deserve death, that they should listen to him like they listened to Micah in the days of Hezekiah, else they will be bringing disaster upon themselves.
- Another man named Uriah (son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearin) had also prophesied against the city, but fled to Egypt when Jehoiakim threatened to kill him. Jehoiakim sent Elnathan and other men after Uriah, and they brought him back to Jehoiakim, who killed him and threw his body into a common burial plot.
- But Ahikam the son of Shaphan prevents Jeremiah from being given into the hands of the people to be put to death. We have the "people" here who want to put Jeremiah to death, and we have the "people" earlier who seem to side with the officials. Unless the "people" are very wishy-washy, this must refer to different groups of people.
Jeremiah 25 (4th Year of Jehoiakim's reign, 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign in Babylon)
1-14 Babylonian Captivity Foretold
- Jeremiah to the people: For 23 years – from the 13th year of King Josiah to this day – I have been warning you to turn from your evil ways, from your idolatry, but you have not listened.
- Thus says the LORD: I will bring Nebuchadnezzar, my servant, against this land and its people, and I will destroy them.
- I will banish the sound of mirth, voices of brides and bridegroom, the millstone and the lamp.
- And this whole land will serve in Babylon for 70 years, after which I will punish Babylon for its iniquity, and they will become slaves to other nations.
- God tells Jeremiah to take from him a cup of "the wine of wrath" and make the nations to whom he will send Jeremiah drink it, so that they will get drunk, stagger, and suffer from the sword the LORD will send.
- So Jeremiah takes the cup to the kings and officials of Judah; Egypt; Uz; the Philistines,\; Edom, Moab and Ammon; Tyre and Sidon; the coastland across the sea; Arabia; Zimri; Elam and Media; the north, far and near, one after another; all the kingdoms of the earth.
- "After them Sheshach [Babylon] will drink."
32 The disaster spreads from nation to nation, a great tempest.
- Those slain will be spread throughout the earth, and no one will mourn.
35 The shepherds will not be able to escape the LORD's despoiling, for he is like a lion that has left his covert.
Jeremiah 36:1-10 (4th and 5th years of Jehoiakim's reign)
1-10 The Scroll Read in the Temple
- God tells Jeremiah to take a scroll and write on it all the warnings of disaster God intends for Judah.
- Jeremiah calls Baruch to transcribe his words and read them in the temple on a fast day, because Jeremiah has been banned from the temple.
- The next year the people proclaim a fast, and Baruch read Jeremiah's words in the temple, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary.
1-5 A Word of Comfort to Baruch
- When Jeremiah dictates to Baruch, Baruch cries that the LORD has "added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest."
- Jeremiah is to tell Baruch that even though God is going to destroy the land, He will spare Baruch's life.
11-19 The Scroll Read in the Palace
- Michaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan goes to the palace and tells the officials (listed by name) what Baruch had read.
- They send for Baruch and ask him to read the scroll to them. I wonder why they weren't at the temple.
- When they hear it, they determine the king should hear it as well and ask Baruch if "he" dictated it.
- When Baruch says yes, "he" did, they advise that he and Jeremiah go into hiding.
- As they read the scroll to the king, he tears off each part read and throws it into the fireplace (it was winter), even though the officials urge him not to.
- He orders the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch, but "the LORD hid them."
- God instructs Jeremiah to duplicate the previous scroll and declare that none of Jehoiakim's descendants will sit on the throne of David, and "his dead body will be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night."
- So Jeremiah dictates another scroll that includes the same warnings as the previous one, with similar words added.
1-19 God Commends the Rechabites (in the days of Jehoiakim)
- God tells Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers of the temple and offer them wine to drink.
- Jeremiah does so, but they refuse the wine, because their ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded that they should never drink wine, nor build a house, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, but that they should always live in tents. Jonadab was with Jehu when he set out to eradicate all the Baal worshipers in the land, in 2 Kings 10.
- They are living in Jerusalem because King Nebchadrezzar threatened the country.
- God tells Jeremiah to tell the people how the Rechabites have continued to obey their ancestor, but Judah does not obey God.
- Therefore he will bring on Judah the disaster he has pronounced against them.
- As for the house of Rechab, they "shall not lack a descendant to stand before me for all time."
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