Jeremiah 27: A Call to Humble Submission
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
But if they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Jeremiah 27 speaks powerfully about God's sovereignty over nations and the importance of heeding His word, even when it's difficult. This chapter unfolds against the backdrop of political turmoil and false prophecy, offering timeless lessons for believers today. The events in this chapter likely took place around 593 BC, during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the fall of Jerusalem.
The Yoke of Babylon: God's Instrument
Jeremiah delivers a crucial message, not only to Zedekiah, but also to the representatives of other nations contemplating rebellion against Babylon (Jeremiah 27:3). Through a symbolic act, Jeremiah wears a yoke around his neck (Jeremiah 27:2), vividly illustrating the message: submit to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. This wasn't a message of political expediency, but a direct command from the "LORD of Armies, the God of Israel" (Jeremiah 27:4).
God declares that He is the Creator, holding all nations in His hands (Jeremiah 27:5). He had sovereignly decreed that all lands would be subject to Babylon for a specific period (Jeremiah 27:6-7), until Babylon's own time of judgment arrived. Resistance to this divinely ordained plan would bring dire consequences: "sword, famine, and plague" (Jeremiah 27:8).
Discerning Truth from Falsehood
A key theme in Jeremiah 27 is the danger of listening to false prophets. God warns the envoys from pagan countries not to heed the voices of their own "prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers" who were promising deliverance from Babylon (Jeremiah 27:9-10). These were peddling lies, leading their people to destruction.
Tragically, Zedekiah, king of Judah, faced the same predicament. He was surrounded by false prophets who assured him that Judah would never be conquered (Jeremiah 27:12, 14-15). They painted a rosy picture, promising peace and security when God was calling for repentance and submission. Zedekiah's reliance on these false assurances blinded him to the truth and ultimately led to devastation.
The Temple Vessels: A Symbol of God's Presence
Jeremiah also addresses the priests and the people, warning them against believing the false prophets who were predicting the imminent return of the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon years earlier (Jeremiah 27:16). These vessels, removed during the first deportation around 609 BC (see Daniel 1:1-7), served as a tangible reminder of Judah's disobedience and God's judgment.
The false prophets offered a comforting lie, suggesting that God would quickly restore what had been lost. Jeremiah, however, declared the opposite: not only would the stolen articles remain in Babylon, but even the remaining items in the temple would be carried off (Jeremiah 27:17-22). This stark prophecy underscored the severity of Judah's situation and the certainty of God's judgment.
Lessons for Today
Jeremiah 27 offers several important lessons for believers today:
- God is Sovereign: God's sovereignty extends over all nations and all of history. He uses even seemingly negative circumstances to accomplish His purposes.
- Obedience is Paramount: Discerning and obeying God's word, even when it's difficult or unpopular, is essential.
- Beware of False Prophets: We must be discerning, testing every message against the truth of God's Word and seeking wise counsel. False prophets often tell people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.
- Humility and Repentance: True hope lies not in wishful thinking or false promises, but in humility, repentance, and submission to God's will.
Jeremiah's message in chapter 27 is a call to recognize God's hand in our lives and in the world around us. It challenges us to listen carefully to His voice, to discern truth from falsehood, and to trust in His sovereignty, even when circumstances seem bleak. By embracing humility and obedience, we can find true peace and security in the midst of life's challenges.
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.
I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
But if they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Jeremiah 27 speaks powerfully about God's sovereignty over nations and the importance of heeding His word, even when it's difficult. This chapter unfolds against the backdrop of political turmoil and false prophecy, offering timeless lessons for believers today. The events in this chapter likely took place around 593 BC, during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the fall of Jerusalem.
The Yoke of Babylon: God's Instrument
Jeremiah delivers a crucial message, not only to Zedekiah, but also to the representatives of other nations contemplating rebellion against Babylon (Jeremiah 27:3). Through a symbolic act, Jeremiah wears a yoke around his neck (Jeremiah 27:2), vividly illustrating the message: submit to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. This wasn't a message of political expediency, but a direct command from the "LORD of Armies, the God of Israel" (Jeremiah 27:4).
God declares that He is the Creator, holding all nations in His hands (Jeremiah 27:5). He had sovereignly decreed that all lands would be subject to Babylon for a specific period (Jeremiah 27:6-7), until Babylon's own time of judgment arrived. Resistance to this divinely ordained plan would bring dire consequences: "sword, famine, and plague" (Jeremiah 27:8).
Discerning Truth from Falsehood
A key theme in Jeremiah 27 is the danger of listening to false prophets. God warns the envoys from pagan countries not to heed the voices of their own "prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers" who were promising deliverance from Babylon (Jeremiah 27:9-10). These were peddling lies, leading their people to destruction.
Tragically, Zedekiah, king of Judah, faced the same predicament. He was surrounded by false prophets who assured him that Judah would never be conquered (Jeremiah 27:12, 14-15). They painted a rosy picture, promising peace and security when God was calling for repentance and submission. Zedekiah's reliance on these false assurances blinded him to the truth and ultimately led to devastation.
The Temple Vessels: A Symbol of God's Presence
Jeremiah also addresses the priests and the people, warning them against believing the false prophets who were predicting the imminent return of the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon years earlier (Jeremiah 27:16). These vessels, removed during the first deportation around 609 BC (see Daniel 1:1-7), served as a tangible reminder of Judah's disobedience and God's judgment.
The false prophets offered a comforting lie, suggesting that God would quickly restore what had been lost. Jeremiah, however, declared the opposite: not only would the stolen articles remain in Babylon, but even the remaining items in the temple would be carried off (Jeremiah 27:17-22). This stark prophecy underscored the severity of Judah's situation and the certainty of God's judgment.
Lessons for Today
Jeremiah 27 offers several important lessons for believers today:
- God is Sovereign: God's sovereignty extends over all nations and all of history. He uses even seemingly negative circumstances to accomplish His purposes.
- Obedience is Paramount: Discerning and obeying God's word, even when it's difficult or unpopular, is essential.
- Beware of False Prophets: We must be discerning, testing every message against the truth of God's Word and seeking wise counsel. False prophets often tell people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.
- Humility and Repentance: True hope lies not in wishful thinking or false promises, but in humility, repentance, and submission to God's will.
Jeremiah's message in chapter 27 is a call to recognize God's hand in our lives and in the world around us. It challenges us to listen carefully to His voice, to discern truth from falsehood, and to trust in His sovereignty, even when circumstances seem bleak. By embracing humility and obedience, we can find true peace and security in the midst of life's challenges.