Jeremiah 44 Commentary
Who hasn’t heard Jeremiah 29 verse 11? It is a poster verse. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This is for the obedient.
Not so many people know the following: “For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed.” Verse 27.
This is for the disobedient.
“But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.” Verse 18. You can tell the people are thinking of the Creator God in the same line as the pagan no-gods. The gods or idols must be appeased for them to release favors on the people.
Compare the pagan gods with the Creator God. He is looking for faithfulness in the relationship. The laws are holy like “don’t steal”, “don’t murder”, or “don’t commit adultery”. The other gods are immoral.
The people think of Jeremiah’s God, the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as simply another option on the menu. They elect to follow the Queen of Heaven for what they think are obvious benefits. Our world isn’t different. To many Jesus Christ is simply one of the many hobbies around.
When these people stopped their idol worship, it wasn’t equivalent to real repentance and a fresh walk with the LORD. Probably they sought to experience another god that Jeremiah had been talking about – a god among many other gods. A trip to the altar that isn’t informed by the gospel quickly turns on the worshipper. They still get punished by the LORD for their wrong religion. There are consequences for disobedience.
Humanity isn’t in as much control as they often want to think and believe. They don’t have as much choice as they want to think. There aren’t many gods – an endless list of them. There is simply one God, the Creator God. The rest are pretender gods – all of them, versions of the same old fallen angel. And a choice for the fallen angel is a decision that comes with heavy consequences. Check it up for yourself.
The worship of satan included passive worship actions like having satan’s image on baked products. The devil is worshipped everywhere today. You see the footprint of this worship in all sorts of images on TV screens, TV programs, social activities, clothes, and many other things. It is probably impossible to go through an entire day without encountering one satanic symbol – be it at home, at work, or even at the shopping mall.
Curriculum systems for the world’s education systems are heavily laced with satanism. And so is the entertainment industry. Let the saint know.
Jeremiah’s audience wasn’t going to have it free. The LORD was watching them. “For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed.”
History would agree that indeed Egypt’s safe haven status didn’t last at all. Nebuchadnezzar matched against Egypt and took control of it. Pharaoh Hophra’s tenure didn’t last long. Let an individual investigate history in view of the written word of the LORD, and see how every word from the LORD comes to bear on humanity. The LORD remains the Ultimate power and authority over His creation.
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