Introduction
‘Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!’ Jeremiah 15:1
From the opening verse, it would seem that Moses and Samuel had tried to intercede for the people. The NIV says, ‘Even if Moses and Samuel,’ Jeremiah 15:1. Could this have happened? It could mean that God was saying that ‘even if’ they were so great, not even these two great men could influence Him in changing His mind, Exodus 32:11-16 / 1 Samuel 7:9 / 1 Samuel 7:12 / 1 Samuel 7:23.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Moses had often supplicated for the people; and in consequence they were spared, Exodus 32:11 / Numbers 14:13. Samuel also had prayed for the people and God heard him, 1 Samuel 7:9, but if these or the most holy men were now to supplicate for this people, he would not spare them.’
‘And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’ ‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the LORD, ‘the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy. I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem. ‘Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are? You have rejected me,’ declares the LORD. ‘You keep on backsliding. So, I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back. I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways. I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror. The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies,’ declares the LORD.’ Jeremiah 15:2-9
If the people ask Jeremiah where shall we go? Then Jeremiah is to tell them that those destined for death, to death, those for the sword, to the sword, those for starvation, to starvation, those for captivity, to captivity, Jeremiah 15:2. God is going to send four kinds of destroyers against them, they are the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy, Jeremiah 15:3. Punishment is promised here again, Jeremiah 18:21.
It talks about Manasseh in Jeremiah 15:4, and it was his evil influence that set a pattern that was never to be changed,
1 Kings 21:1-12. But there is an important issue here because it might seem from this verse that the invasion and captivity of Judah was due to him and his wicked reign.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘But it wasn’t just because of his reign that God’s people would face all of these disasters. It was because the people wanted to continue in their wickedness. They didn’t like the reforms of the good king, Josiah. So, as soon as Jehoiakim became king, they heartily agreed to support the restoration of all of the idols that were rampant during Manasseh’s evil reign, Jeremiah 15:4. And when Jeremiah’s great prophecies questioned their continuation of idolatry, they considered it was time to kill Jeremiah off. It was because the majority of the people seem to prefer worshipping idols rather than the Lord God.’
God asks, who will have pity on Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are? Jeremiah 15:5. The answer to these questions is no-one.
Broadman, Bible Commentary, says the following.
‘The first few verbs here, Jeremiah 15:5, and the last verb, Jeremiah 15:9, are in the imperfect tense and most of the rest are perfects. They portray that which has not yet happened as though it had already transpired, so certain is the prophet that it is going to come about.’
God tells them that His people have acted like the wicked king, in terms of rejected God and backsliding, and so, God has now had enough of them, Jeremiah 15:6 / Jeremiah 18:7-10. God’s says He will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land and bring bereavement and destruction on His people because His people continue in their backsliding and continued to follow the example of Manasseh, Jeremiah 15:7.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the city gates.
‘The places of public justice and there it shall be seen that the judgments that have fallen upon them have been highly merited. And from these places of fanning they shall go out into their captivity.’
God says He will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea and at midday He will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men, suddenly He will bring down on them anguish and terror, Jeremiah 15:8. The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last, her sun will set while it is still day and she will be disgraced and humiliated and He will put the survivors to the sword, Jeremiah 15:9.
‘Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me. The LORD said, ‘Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress. ‘Can a man break iron—iron from the north—or bronze? ‘Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without charge, because of all your sins throughout your country. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.’ Jeremiah 15:10-14
Jeremiah says, alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends, Jeremiah 15:10. It seems as though Jeremiah was speaking here about himself and we say this because it is confusing. In the KJV it seems that there is hope for the people. But the RSV seems to suggest the opposite. If Jeremiah is speaking personally about himself, then the KJV gives a message of hope. The Hebrew for these verses is obscure.
We see a glimpse of human nature in these verses and one way to go about making enemies for ourselves if to lend them money or borrow money from them. Jeremiah seems to be saying that because he didn’t lend or borrow, he was hated by most people, Jeremiah 15:10, it was one of the grounds for the people not understanding him.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 15:11.
‘This was literally fulfilled; see Jeremiah 39:11, Nebuchadnezzar had given strict charge to Nebuzar-Adan, commander in chief, to look well to Jeremiah, to do him no harm and to grant him all the privileges he was pleased to ask.’
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 15:11.
‘Jeremiah’s enemies, of whom was Zedekiah, would not only spare his life, but invoke his aid. An example of this is given in Jeremiah 21:1-7.’
Scribner, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 15:12.
‘Jeremiah’s prayers are not strong enough to break the iron will of the divine purpose to destroy Judah.’
God says your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without charge, because of all your sins throughout your country, Jeremiah 15:13. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you, Jeremiah 15:14.
These verses are considered to be the second personal lament of Jeremiah. Some scholars say that Jeremiah here is saying again that he curses the day that he was born, Jeremiah 20:14-16.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This seems to be going a little too far with such implications, because certainly there is a vast difference in what is said here from the account of what was said when Job cursed the day of his birth, Job 3:1-6. However, Jeremiah’s error, whatever it was, seems to be serious enough for God to tell him to repent in Jeremiah 15:19.’
‘LORD, you understand; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering—do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty. I never sat in the company of revellers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.’ Jeremiah 15:15-18
The prophet is now pleading for himself and the promise that he receives protection from his persecutors, Jeremiah 15:15. He pleads with God whom he recognises as long-suffering and ask that He doesn’t take him away, Jeremiah 15:15. He says, remember, Lord, I have eaten and spoken your Word, Jeremiah 15:16. I have not sat with the mockers or the scoffers, Jeremiah 15:17 / Psalm 1:1.
I have not rebelled and it is for you, Lord that I have suffered, Jeremiah 15:17. Now that I know a lot of things that you know and Lord, I feel the same way. I feel indignant toward the people, Jeremiah 15:17. And so now he wants to know why he is suffering the way that he is, Jeremiah 15:18.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Jeremiah has fallen into a distressing pit of self-pity. He has become a victim of the ‘me’ virus. In the four verses, he uses ‘me’, ‘my’ or ‘I’ sixteen times! It appears that he is completely discouraged by the fact that his mission is a failure, Jeremiah 15:18.’
‘Therefore, this is what the LORD says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.’ Jeremiah 15:19-21
This is a statement of God’s protection. Jeremiah 15:19, seems very funny. God says, ‘if you repent’, Jeremiah, ‘I will restore you.’ It seems strange that God should say this to Jeremiah. Jeremiah hadn’t parted from the Lord, so, why did he have to return? What have we missed, or misunderstood, about his mission for God?
Certainly, we know that he doubted his mission was a success, Jeremiah 15:18. He doubted God’s protection as early as Jeremiah 1:19-20. Perhaps the prophet hadn’t learnt that he had to put his full trust in God. It appears that Jeremiah had allowed himself to adopt an attitude of criticism toward God and perhaps this criticism had appeared in some of his messages to the people. God was therefore reminding him to separate the good from the bad.
Notice that Jeremiah was told to do two things.
1. He must repent, Jeremiah 15:19.
2. He must utter worthy words, not unworthy ones, Jeremiah 15:19.
And if he does these things four things will result.
1. He will again be God’s true messenger to the people, Jeremiah 15:19.
2. He will not listen to the wishes of the people but he will cause the people to turn to God’s word. Jeremiah 15:19.
3. He will become a fortified wall of bronze, just as God had promised when He first called him, Jeremiah 15:20.
4. God will save him from the hands of the wicked, Jeremiah 15:21.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 15:21.
‘Out of the power of the Chaldean armies. Everything took place as God had promised, for no word of his can ever fall to the ground.’