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A voice, a rumor! Behold it comes! – A great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a lair of jackals. - Jeremiah 10:22

The prophet dropped this in yesterday, almost midsentence, as though someone ran into the room and cried “We’re under attack!” Chapter 13 finds us on the other side of this invasion, as a few clues in today’s reading reveal that the LORD’s promise to “pluck up” His “evil neighbors” has been fulfilled.

First, in the object lesson at the beginning of chapter 13, Jeremiah is told to “Go to the Euphrates” and hide his loincloth there in a cleft of the rock. The Euphrates does not flow through Israel. It’s unknown whether Jeremiah was forcibly exiled, or whether he voluntarily followed his countrymen east, but we’ve gotten our first clue that the situation has changed.

A second clue is found in the LORD’s words to the king and the queen mother: ‘Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.’ The cities of the Negeb are shut up, with none to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile. The crown’s removal is past tense; exile is in the present. Judah is experiencing the first taste of the LORD’s rejection.

There is so much more to observe today, but I’ll guide you to attend to two details. In chapter 14, the author records a prayer where Judah calls on the LORD, ‘O you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for the night? Why should you be like a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save?” What are they saying about the LORD here?

Later, we find Jeremiah back in Judah where he laments his treatment as “a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.” When the LORD promises “If you return, I will restore you…” He infers that Jeremiah has even decided to hang up his mantle. As He did yesterday, the LORD responds with gentle rebuke, and a promise that “I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you.”

We’ve seen this before, haven’t we? Just as in chapter 1, Judah, in distress, needs a savior. And the LORD promises deliverance – not for them, but for his mouthpiece. “For I am with you,” He promises Jeremiah, “to save you and deliver you.”

Our verse for this week is Lamentations 3:22-23: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Jeremiah 13 through 15. Now let’s read it!

Jeremiah 13 - 15

Jehovah said to me, "Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don't put it in water." So I bought a belt according to Jehovah's word, and put it on my waist. Jehovah's word came to me the second time, saying, "Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock." So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me. After many days, Jehovah said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there." Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the belt was ruined. It was profitable for nothing. Then Jehovah's word came to me, saying, "Jehovah says, 'In this way I will ruin the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other gods to serve them and to worship them, will even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing. For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to me,' says Jehovah; 'that they may be to me for a people, for a name, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.' "Therefore you shall speak to them this word: 'Jehovah, the God of Israel says, "Every container should be filled with wine."' They will tell you, 'Do we not certainly know that every container should be filled with wine?' Then tell them, 'Jehovah says, "Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together," says Jehovah: "I will not pity, spare, or have compassion, that I should not destroy them."'" Hear, and give ear. Don't be proud, for Jehovah has spoken. Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it deep darkness. But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride. My eye will weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Jehovah's flock has been taken captive. Say to the king and to the queen mother, "Humble yourselves. Sit down, for your crowns have come down, even the crown of your glory. The cities of the South are shut up, and there is no one to open them. Judah is carried away captive: all of them. They are wholly carried away captive. Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful flock? What will you say when he sets over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? Won't sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail? If you say in your heart, "Why have these things come on me?" Your skirts are uncovered because of the greatness of your iniquity, and your heels suffer violence. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil. "Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me," says Jehovah, "because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood." Therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame will appear. I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean. How long will it yet be?" This is Jehovah's word that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: "Judah mourns, and its gates languish. They sit in black on the ground. The cry of Jerusalem goes up. Their nobles send their little ones to the waters. They come to the cisterns, and find no water. They return with their vessels empty. They are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads. Because of the ground which is cracked, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed. They cover their heads. Yes, the doe in the field also calves and forsakes her young, because there is no grass. The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights. They pant for air like jackals. Their eyes fail, because there is no vegetation. Though our iniquities testify against us, work for your name's sake, Jehovah; for our rebellions are many. We have sinned against you. You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night? Why should you be like a scared man, as a mighty man who can't save? Yet you, Jehovah, are in the middle of us, and we are called by your name. Don't leave us. Jehovah says to this people: "Even so they have loved to wander. They have not restrained their feet. Therefore Jehovah does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish them for their sins." Jehovah said to me, "Don't pray for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and meal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence." Then I said, "Ah, Lord Jehovah! Behold, the prophets tell them, 'You will not see the sword, neither will you have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.'" Then Jehovah said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I didn't send them. I didn't command them. I didn't speak to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart. Therefore Jehovah says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, but I didn't send them, yet they say, 'Sword and famine will not be in this land.' Those prophets will be consumed by sword and famine. The people to whom they prophesy will be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. They will have no one to bury them--them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters, for I will pour their wickedness on them. "You shall say this word to them: "'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound. If I go out into the field, then behold, the slain with the sword! If I enter into the city, then behold, those who are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.'" Have you utterly rejected Judah? Has your soul loathed Zion? Why have you struck us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay! We acknowledge, Jehovah, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against you. Do not abhor us, for your name's sake. Do not disgrace the throne of your glory. Remember, and don't break your covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the sky give showers? Aren't you he, Jehovah our God? Therefore we will wait for you; for you have made all these things. Then Jehovah said to me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not turn toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out! It will happen when they ask you, 'Where shall we go out?' then you shall tell them, 'Jehovah says: "Such as are for death, to death; such as are for the sword, to the sword; such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity."' "I will appoint over them four kinds," says Jehovah: "the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, the birds of the sky, and the animals of the earth, to devour and to destroy. I will cause them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn you? Who will come to ask of your welfare? You have rejected me," says Jehovah. "You have gone backward. Therefore I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I am weary of showing compassion. I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land. I have bereaved them of children. I have destroyed my people. They didn't return from their ways. Their widows are increased more than the sand of the seas. I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday. I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly. She who has borne seven languishes. She has given up the spirit. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day. She has been disappointed and confounded. I will deliver their residue to the sword before their enemies," says Jehovah. Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them curses me. Jehovah said, "Most certainly I will strengthen you for good. Most certainly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and bronze? I will give your substance and your treasures for a plunder without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your borders. I will make them to pass with your enemies into a land which you don't know; for a fire is kindled in my anger, which will burn on you." Jehovah, you know. Remember me, visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors. You are patient, so don't take me away. Know that for your sake I have suffered reproach. Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, Jehovah, God of Armies. I didn't sit in the assembly of those who make merry and rejoice. I sat alone because of your hand, for you have filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Therefore Jehovah says, "If you return, then I will bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take out the precious from the vile, you will be as my mouth. They will return to you, but you will not return to them. I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you," says Jehovah. "I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible."

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