Jeremiah 16: A Prophet's Isolation and God's Unfailing Promise
The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.
Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.
Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?
Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.
O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.
Jeremiah 16 presents a stark and sobering message of judgment upon Judah, yet interwoven within it is a thread of hope, a promise of future restoration. This chapter reveals God's profound disappointment with His people's persistent idolatry and rebellion, and the consequences that would inevitably follow. Through symbolic acts and powerful pronouncements, Jeremiah conveys the severity of God's impending judgment, while also offering a glimpse of His enduring love and ultimate plan for redemption.
A Life of Consecrated Isolation (Jeremiah 16:1-9)
God's call on Jeremiah's life in this chapter is particularly demanding, requiring him to live a life of consecrated isolation as a living parable to the people. This isolation takes several forms, each carrying a significant message.
First, Jeremiah is commanded to remain celibate (Jeremiah 16:1-4). He is not to marry or have children. This wasn't merely a personal choice but a prophetic sign. Just as Hosea's marriage mirrored Israel's unfaithfulness, Jeremiah's childlessness symbolized the impending death and destruction that would befall the children of Judah through disease, war, and famine. The absence of future generations in Jeremiah's life mirrored the bleak future awaiting the nation.
Second, Jeremiah is forbidden from participating in the normal rhythms of social life, whether mourning with the bereaved or celebrating with the joyful (Jeremiah 16:5-9). He is not to enter houses of mourning to offer comfort, nor is he to join in feasts and celebrations. God declares that He has withdrawn His peace, loving-kindness, and compassion from the people. The sound of joy and gladness will cease (Jeremiah 16:9). Jeremiah's isolation mirrors God's own withdrawal from a people who have turned away from Him. This complete social abstinence highlighted the devastating reality that the comforting and celebratory aspects of life were about to vanish from Judah.
The weight of this calling is immense. Jeremiah is to be a social pariah, set apart to embody God's judgment. This wasn't a punishment for Jeremiah, but a powerful demonstration of God's broken heart over His people's sin. It emphasized that life as they knew it was coming to an end due to their persistent disobedience.
The Inevitable Question and God's Unflinching Response (Jeremiah 16:10-13)
The people, blinded by their spiritual apathy, will inevitably ask, "Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? What is our iniquity? What is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?" (Jeremiah 16:10). This question reveals their lack of awareness of their own sin and their failure to recognize the consequences of their actions. Like a child caught red-handed denying their wrongdoing, they feign innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence.
God's response through Jeremiah is direct and unwavering (Jeremiah 16:11-13). He points to their persistent idolatry and their rejection of His commands. He emphasizes that they have surpassed the sins of their ancestors, walking in the stubbornness of their hearts and refusing to listen to God. Therefore, God will cast them out of the land into a foreign land where they will serve other gods, where He will show them no favor. The repetition of history stems from a refusal to learn from it.
A Promise of Restoration (Jeremiah 16:14-15)
Even amidst the pronouncements of judgment, a ray of hope shines through. God promises a future restoration, a second exodus that will surpass the first in significance (Jeremiah 16:14-15). The people will no longer remember God primarily as the one who brought them out of Egypt, but as the one who brought them back from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had driven them. This promise points to a future regathering of Israel, a restoration that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom. While the return from Babylonian exile was a partial fulfillment, the complete realization awaits a future day.
Idolatry and the Hope of the Gentiles (Jeremiah 16:16-21)
The chapter concludes with a reiteration of the impending exile due to Judah's idolatry (Jeremiah 16:16-18). God will repay them double for their iniquity because they have defiled His land with their idols. This judgment is contrasted with Jeremiah's unwavering faith in the Lord as his strength, stronghold, and refuge (Jeremiah 16:19).
Looking beyond the immediate judgment on Judah, the chapter offers a glimpse of hope for the nations. Jeremiah prophesies that the Gentiles will come to God from the ends of the earth, acknowledging that their idols are nothing but falsehood and delusion (Jeremiah 16:19-20). This foreshadows the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's plan of salvation, a truth that finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. The chapter closes with God revealing His name and power to the nations, leading them to know Him (Jeremiah 16:21). This universal scope of God's redemptive plan offers hope not only for Israel but for all humanity.
The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.
Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.
Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?
Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.
O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.
Jeremiah 16 presents a stark and sobering message of judgment upon Judah, yet interwoven within it is a thread of hope, a promise of future restoration. This chapter reveals God's profound disappointment with His people's persistent idolatry and rebellion, and the consequences that would inevitably follow. Through symbolic acts and powerful pronouncements, Jeremiah conveys the severity of God's impending judgment, while also offering a glimpse of His enduring love and ultimate plan for redemption.
A Life of Consecrated Isolation (Jeremiah 16:1-9)
God's call on Jeremiah's life in this chapter is particularly demanding, requiring him to live a life of consecrated isolation as a living parable to the people. This isolation takes several forms, each carrying a significant message.
First, Jeremiah is commanded to remain celibate (Jeremiah 16:1-4). He is not to marry or have children. This wasn't merely a personal choice but a prophetic sign. Just as Hosea's marriage mirrored Israel's unfaithfulness, Jeremiah's childlessness symbolized the impending death and destruction that would befall the children of Judah through disease, war, and famine. The absence of future generations in Jeremiah's life mirrored the bleak future awaiting the nation.
Second, Jeremiah is forbidden from participating in the normal rhythms of social life, whether mourning with the bereaved or celebrating with the joyful (Jeremiah 16:5-9). He is not to enter houses of mourning to offer comfort, nor is he to join in feasts and celebrations. God declares that He has withdrawn His peace, loving-kindness, and compassion from the people. The sound of joy and gladness will cease (Jeremiah 16:9). Jeremiah's isolation mirrors God's own withdrawal from a people who have turned away from Him. This complete social abstinence highlighted the devastating reality that the comforting and celebratory aspects of life were about to vanish from Judah.
The weight of this calling is immense. Jeremiah is to be a social pariah, set apart to embody God's judgment. This wasn't a punishment for Jeremiah, but a powerful demonstration of God's broken heart over His people's sin. It emphasized that life as they knew it was coming to an end due to their persistent disobedience.
The Inevitable Question and God's Unflinching Response (Jeremiah 16:10-13)
The people, blinded by their spiritual apathy, will inevitably ask, "Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? What is our iniquity? What is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?" (Jeremiah 16:10). This question reveals their lack of awareness of their own sin and their failure to recognize the consequences of their actions. Like a child caught red-handed denying their wrongdoing, they feign innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence.
God's response through Jeremiah is direct and unwavering (Jeremiah 16:11-13). He points to their persistent idolatry and their rejection of His commands. He emphasizes that they have surpassed the sins of their ancestors, walking in the stubbornness of their hearts and refusing to listen to God. Therefore, God will cast them out of the land into a foreign land where they will serve other gods, where He will show them no favor. The repetition of history stems from a refusal to learn from it.
A Promise of Restoration (Jeremiah 16:14-15)
Even amidst the pronouncements of judgment, a ray of hope shines through. God promises a future restoration, a second exodus that will surpass the first in significance (Jeremiah 16:14-15). The people will no longer remember God primarily as the one who brought them out of Egypt, but as the one who brought them back from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had driven them. This promise points to a future regathering of Israel, a restoration that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom. While the return from Babylonian exile was a partial fulfillment, the complete realization awaits a future day.
Idolatry and the Hope of the Gentiles (Jeremiah 16:16-21)
The chapter concludes with a reiteration of the impending exile due to Judah's idolatry (Jeremiah 16:16-18). God will repay them double for their iniquity because they have defiled His land with their idols. This judgment is contrasted with Jeremiah's unwavering faith in the Lord as his strength, stronghold, and refuge (Jeremiah 16:19).
Looking beyond the immediate judgment on Judah, the chapter offers a glimpse of hope for the nations. Jeremiah prophesies that the Gentiles will come to God from the ends of the earth, acknowledging that their idols are nothing but falsehood and delusion (Jeremiah 16:19-20). This foreshadows the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's plan of salvation, a truth that finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. The chapter closes with God revealing His name and power to the nations, leading them to know Him (Jeremiah 16:21). This universal scope of God's redemptive plan offers hope not only for Israel but for all humanity.