Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:1-7

This oracle is around 597BC when Judah is on the verge of destruction.  The siege had apparently not started; but it had to be close.  Jeremiah is called to do a sign act.  He was to make a yoke and put it on.  This yoke is what would be used to hitch a plow to an oxen.  The yoke went on the neck and was held in place by leather straps. 

The sign went with the message; one of bondage and captivity.  The message was for all the visiting envoys to take home and for Judah to hear.  Nebuchadnezzar is called God's servant because he is being used by God to deliver the judgment on the nations.  How and why is God able to do this?  All of creation is His; He is sovereign over it.  He declared He would give them to whomever He chose.  This He would do until the proper time, which we learn elsewhere is 70 years. 

Jeremiah 27:8-11

Those that refused the yoke the Lord called them to would then be judged accordingly.  Judgment would come by sword, famine and plague.  The ancient prophets were to surround the king and tell him what he wanted to hear; no king wanted to hear about being in bondage to another nation.  The kings of these neighboring nations apparently were surrounded by a council of prophets, diviners, dream interpreters, mediums and sorcerers.  Not knowing the only true God left them searching for answers wherever they could.  All these counselors were to be ignored and instead they should embrace the truth.  The lies they told would lead them to losing their land.  If they would accept the yoke, they would be allowed to stay in the land.  This would have been a difficult dilemma for them. 

Jeremiah 27:12-15

Judah and Jerusalem heard the same word.  It was easier for them to believe their false prophets because they believed Jerusalem and the temple would never be destroyed.  They simply couldn't imagine God ever allowing that to happen. The prophets and their word wasn't sent from God, they would be banished from the land and perish. 

Jeremiah 27:16-22

Jeremiah made the same appeal to the priests and people.  These priests should be able to know the true prophets from false.  The false prophets said the temple articles were coming back.  This would be pleasing words for any and all.  The only problem was the pleasing words weren't the true words.  We become very easily deceived when we hear what we want to hear.  The Lord is very clear; not only were the articles not coming back, but anything left from the first siege would also be carried off.  They would remain there until the day when the Lord Himself brings them back in the act of restoring the temple. 

©2018 Doug Ford