11/09/2024 – Day 139 – Jeremiah – Chapters 37 – 41 / Summary & “Jeremiah: The Faithful Shepherd (40: 1-6)
All the following commentary includes excerpts from William Wiersbe’s book: “Be Decisive”. I will start with a summary, the first two paragraphs of Chapter 11 from his book entitled: “Tragedy Follows Tragedy” (Jeremiah 40 – 45):
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“It’s been said by more than one scholar that the one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history. This was certainly true of the destitute Jewish remnant in Judah after the fall of Jerusalem. Instead of seeking the Lord and making a new beginning, the remnant repeated the very sins that had led to the collapse of the nation and the destruction of the city: They wouldn’t listen to the Word; they turned to Egypt for help; and they worshipped idols.
The sinful behavior of the people must have broken Jeremiah’s heart, but he stayed with them and tried to get them to obey the Word of the Lord. God had punished the nation, but even this severe punishment didn’t change their hearts. They were still bent on doing evil.
The drama was a tragic one with a cast of characters that is seen in every age. The script of history may change a bit from time to time, but the characters are still the same.”
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Jeremiah: The Faithful Shepherd (40: 1-6)
“Jeremiah was given his freedom after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem (39: 11 – 14), but somehow he got mixed in with the captives who were being readied at Ramah for their long march to Babylon. He was released and given the choice of going to Babylon and being cared for by the king or remaining in the land to care for the people. Being a man with a shepherd’s heart, Jeremiah chose to dwell among the people (v. 14; 40: 5-6).
The Babylonian captain of the guard preached a sermon that sounded a great deal like what Jeremiah had been saying for forty years! It must have been embarrassing for the Jews to hear a pagan Babylonian tell them they were sinners, but he was right in what he said. As God’s people, we have to bow in shame when the world publicly announces the sins of the saints (Genesis 12: 10-20; 20:1ff.; 2 Samuel 12:14).
Jeremiah chose to join Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed governor of the land. Had the people followed the prophet and the governor, the Jewish remnant could have led safe and fairly comfortable lives even in the midst of the ruin, but they chose not to obey. Even a severe chastening like the one Babylon brought to Judah didn’t change their hearts, for the human heart can be changed only by the grace of God.
Was Jeremiah violating his own message when he remained with the people in the land (24: 4-10)? Why stay with the ‘bad figs’ when the future lay with the ‘good figs’ who had been taken off to Babylon? Certainly Jeremiah knew how to discern the will of God, and the Lord knew how much the prophet loved the land and its people. Ezekiel was taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. and would start his ministry five years later (Ezekiel 1: 1-2), and Daniel had been there in 605 B.C. There were prophets to minister to the exiles, and Jeremiah was right to remain with the people of the land.
Jeremiah made difficult choices at the beginning and the end of his ministry. It would have been much easier to serve as a priest, but he obeyed God’s call to be a prophet, and it would have been much more comfortable in Babylon, but he opted to remain in the land of his fathers. Jeremiah was a true shepherd and not a hireling (see John 10: 12-13).
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Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.
Soli Deo Gloria!