Jeremiah 27 Commentary
This should be quite some scene! You would easily understand why government officials weren’t too happy with the prophet Jeremiah. Envoys from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon are in Jerusalem to see King Zedekiah but Jeremiah has his own agenda!
By order of the higher office, that of the King of kings, Jeremiah interrupts normal protocols and delivers the word of the LORD to the envoys. And it isn’t all positive! They are to submit to the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar.
From the Book of Isaiah, we know the nations in question have fallen under the same judgment as Israel, for similar offenses before the LORD. Yes, punishment is for the nations; but there is a better option. The LORD wants the nations, including Israel to go for this option: enslavement under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar.
Simply put, the LORD doesn’t want a cut-throat kind of punishment. Let the nations experience trouble, and enslavement, who knows, they might just have a change of heart and repent. We see a lot of compassion even in the wrath of God!
Yes, there is wickedness. But let not wickedness be the last word. Restoration is possible. The LORD is thinking about it. There is a plan for it. The saint can know the God of Jeremiah whose interests go beyond Israel’s borders. He is the God of creation, everything, and every man and woman, regardless of time and space. The message is the same. And so the LORD ignores political etiquette and orders Jeremiah to deliver this all-important message.
But Jeremiah’s message isn’t the only one. Other messages proclaim peace and stability but they are false.
In a world of the gospel, there exist countless counter-gospel messages that seek to keep humanity away from thinking about their fate. It is safe. It has always been this way. There is more to be done before we can think about eternity. Thoughts like these keep us away from the gospel and it is intentional.
There was a virtual world during Jeremiah’s time. It was created by the false prophets, the diviners, interpreters of dreams, the mediums, or the sorcerers. Today these groups have advanced and have more acceptable and respectable titles. But only the word of the LORD is true. The LORD does what the LORD wants. The LORD allows what the LORD allows. The LORD is in charge.
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