This chapter has three main sections.
1. The judgment of Judah and their impending captivity in Babylon, Jeremiah 25:1-14.
2. The cup of God’s wrath on nations, Jeremiah 25:15-29.
3. God’s judgment on the whole world, Jeremiah 25:30-38.
This is basically a summary of everything that Jeremiah has said so far. In addition, he gives a scan of the punishments that will come to other nations. Jeremiah received word from God concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Jeremiah 25:1.
The year that Nebuchadnezzar successfully attacked the nation of Judah was 605 BC. So Jeremiah speaks to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, Jeremiah 25:2, and speaks about three twenty-three years Jeremiah 25:3.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These twenty-three years of Jeremiah’s ministry were made up of nineteen years during the reign of Josiah and four years of the reign of Jehoiakim, plus, of course, the three months of Jehoahaz.’
This shows twenty-three years of rejection by Judah of God and His words, Jeremiah 25:3. Every day of these twenty-three years, it seems that Jeremiah was out early trying to warn the people and trying to melt their hearts, but they wouldn’t listen or pay attention, Jeremiah 25:4.
If the people of Israel had not been so rebellious, we would have no writings of the prophets, for the prophets were sent to call the people to repentance, Jeremiah 25:5-6.
However, because they would not listen to God, they stirred His anger, Jeremiah 25:7. As a result, He unleashed calamity upon them in order to stir their repentance, Jeremiah 25:8.
Notice the title that God gives Nebuchadnezzar, He says ‘my servant Nebuchadnezzar’, Jeremiah 25:9. This title is usually reserved for the most faithful worshippers of God.
The first person to be given the title by God was Moses, Numbers 12:7 / Joshua 1:2. Here it is applied to the king of Babylon. I guess we couldn’t call Nebuchadnezzar a servant in the best sense of the word, but he was, nevertheless, an important servant. He was, after all, being used by God to punish God’s people, Jeremiah 25:9-10.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Jeremiah 25:10.
‘The destruction about to come upon the last vestiges of the Old Israel was a very significant and historical event, because the Old Israel was a type of the New Israel, which would eventually be the Church ‘in Christ Jesus.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning the milestone and the light of the lamp, Jeremiah 25:10.
‘These two are conjoined, because they generally ground the corn before day, by the light of the candle.’
In the first main section, we have this amazing prophecy that God’s people will be in Babylon for a total of seventy years, Jeremiah 25:11. I say, amazing, because how could Jeremiah have known that they would be in exile for seventy years? There was only one way, revelation by our Almighty God.
We are told how long the captivity is going to last for seventy years, 2 Chronicles 36:14-23. The seventy-year period would obviously start from the time of the first deportation, in 606 B.C, when Daniel and the princes were taken. After the captives return to Babylon, they will serve other nations because they made the land a waste, Jeremiah 25:11.
Although God used the Babylonians to discipline His people, He would turn on them because of their arrogance and mistreatment of His people, Jeremiah 25:12-13 / Isaiah 13:19. He would render to them that which they had rendered to His people, Jeremiah 25:14.
Harrison, in his commentary, says the following concerning the ‘many nations’, Jeremiah 25:14.
‘These were the Medes and Persians who subjugated Babylonia under Cyrus in 539 B.C.’
Jeremiah now speaks about other nations, but why? Why does he talk about other nations? Because it is going to show in a special way that Judah will receive payment for what has been done. These nations will be judged because of their ignorance.
God had been long-suffering because, over and over again, He had given them opportunities to come back to Him. So, here is the terrible message: God is saying you’ve had your chances, but now receive the punishment. This talks about the cup of God’s wrath upon the nations, Jeremiah 25:15.
God’s wrath is depicted as if it were a cup of wine, Jeremiah 25:15 / Psalm 75:8 / Isaiah 51:17-22 / Ezekiel 23:31-34 / Habakkuk 2:16 / Revelation 16:19 / Revelation 18:6. All this, of course, is figurative; this wasn’t a literal cup. It is a symbol, a symbol of God’s wrath.
They are going to drink the contents until they are drunk, until they stagger, vomit, and lose their minds, Jeremiah 25:16, and God says, ‘make the nations drink it,’ Jeremiah 25:17.
Scribner, in his commentary, says the following concerning the nations.
‘Jeremiah begins with the extreme south, Egypt, next, he takes Uz on the south-east, and Philistia on the south-west, next, Edom, Moab, and Ammon on the east; and Tyre, Sidon, and the Isles of the Mediterranean on the west, next in the far east, various Arabian nations and then northward to Media and Elam; and finally to the kings of the north, far and near!’
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, will have to drink it, Jeremiah 25:18. Pharaoh, his attendants, his officials, all his people, and all the foreign people in Egypt will drink it, Jeremiah 25:19.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was Pharaoh-Necho, who was the principal cause of instigating the neighbouring nations to form a league against the Chaldeans.’
The kings of Uz, Job 1:1, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod will have to drink it, Jeremiah 25:20. Edom, Moab and Ammon will drink it, Jeremiah 25:21, as will all the kings of Tyre and Sidon and the kings of the coastlands across the sea, Jeremiah 25:22. Dedan, Isaiah 21:13, Tema, Buz, Job 32:2, and all who are in distant places will have to drink from the cup of God’s wrath, Jeremiah 25:23.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Dedan was the son of Abraham, by Keturah, Genesis 25:3. Tema was one of the sons of Ishmael, in the north of Arabia, Genesis 36:15. Buz, brother of Uz, descendants of Nahor, brother of Abraham, settled in Arabia Desert, Genesis 22:21.’
All the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the wilderness will drink it, Jeremiah 25:24. All the kings of Zimri, Genesis 25:2 / Genesis 25:6, Elam and Media, Jeremiah 25:25, and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other, all the kingdoms on the face of the earth will have to drink from the cup of God’s wrath, Jeremiah 25:26.
After all of those nations had drunk the wrath of God, the king of Sheshack will drink it too, Jeremiah 25:26. There is a little footnote in the NIV, and I suppose in the version you are using, that says Sheshack is a word for Babylon, so this verse is saying that the other nations will be judged before Babylon is judged. They are all going to be judged by God.
Jeremiah is to tell these nations, they are to drink, get drunk and vomit and fall to rise no more because of the sword God will send among them, Jeremiah 25:27. If they reuse, God tell them, they must drink it, Jeremiah 25:28.
God says, He is beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears His Name, they will certainly not go unpunished because He is calling down a sword on all who live on the earth, Jeremiah 25:29. In other words, there is no avoiding God’s wrath.
We see that the message is repeated in Jeremiah 25:30-33.
1. All nations are going to be judged and punished, Jeremiah 25:30.
2. Death will come to the wicked, Jeremiah 25:31.
3. There will be no exceptions. God will bring these charges against all nations and judgment on all mankind, Jeremiah 25:32-33.
The chapter ends with an indictment against the shepherds of Judah. The shepherds, who were the leaders of God’s people, will weep and wail and roll in the dust, because the time of slaughter has come, Jeremiah 25:34. There would be no place to escape the judgment of God, Jeremiah 25:35.
The rulers and lords of the nations would wail because their source of help would be cut off, their pasture land is being destroyed, Jeremiah 25:36. The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of God’s fierce anger, Jeremiah 25:37. There is no escape because the lion has left the den, Jeremiah 25:38.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Yahweh has risen up, like a lion that leaves its covert, eager for prey, that He may execute judgment upon the wicked.’