Jeremiah 15:1-9

E. The Final Rejection of Prophetic Intercession

Jeremiah 15:1-9

TRANSLATION

(1) And the LORD said unto me: If Moses and Samuel were standing before Me, I would have no affection for this people. Cast them away from My presence and let them go out. (2) And it shall come to pass if they say unto you, Where shall we go? Then you shall say unto them: Thus says the LORD: Those for death to death; those for the sword to the sword; those for famine to famine; and those for exile to the exile. (3) I have appointed against them four types of punishment (oracle of the LORD): the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field to devour and to destroy. (4) And I will make them a sight that will horrify all the kingdoms of the earth on account of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah for that which he did in Jerusalem. (5) For who shall have mercy upon you, O Jerusalem? And who shall mourn for you? Who shall turn aside to ask concerning your welfare? (6) You have abandoned Me (oracle of the LORD); backward you go. Therefore I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I am weary with having compassion. (7) And I will winnow them with a winnowing in the gates of the land; I will deprive them of children, I will destroy My people since they have not turned aside from their ways. (8) Their widows have become to me more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, a destroyer at high noon; I will cause to fall upon her suddenly distress and terrors. (9) The one who has borne seven has grown feeble, her soul gasps. Her sun has gone down while it is yet day; she is ashamed and confused. I will give their remnant to the sword before their enemies (oracle of the LORD).

COMMENTS

It is useless for Jeremiah to continue to intercede for the people of Judah. Not even Moses and Samuel, the two greatest intercessors the nation had ever known, would be able to move God to show any affection or pity to the present sinful generation. God had hearkened to Moses and Samuel and extended His mercy to previous generations but only after Israel had manifested repentance. Jeremiah's generation was so steeped in sin that repentance seemed impossible and consequently intercessory prayer was useless. Jeremiah was to quit praying and go back to preaching the message of judgment which God had commissioned him to preach. In and through his preaching he is to cast away the inhabitants of Judah from the presence of the Lord that they might go out from before Him (Jeremiah 15:1). If the people ask him to explain this cryptic statement go out the prophet is to have a ready answer. Every man will go out to the punishment which has been decreed for him. Some will suffer death by pestilence, others will die in battle, others will perish with hunger, still others will be taken into foreign captivity (Jeremiah 15:2). All will suffer; none will escape. Four types, families or modes of punishment have been decreed for many of the inhabitants of Judah. They will be first slain by the sword of Babylon and then their unburied bodies will be ripped, torn and eaten by dogs, birds and beasts of the field (Jeremiah 15:3). The nations of the world would witness the terrible things which happen to Israel and will fear for their own safety. All of this must befall Judah because of the sins of Manasseh, the most wicked king who ever sat on the throne of Judah (Jeremiah 15:4).

From speaking about the people God turns and speaks directly to the people in Jeremiah 15:5. By means of three rhetorical questions He drives home the point that no one in the world will really care when Judah falls. No one will show any sympathy or pity, no one will mourn, no one will even ask about the condition of the city (Jeremiah 15:5). Many times in the past Israel had forsaken God and thereby had incurred the threat of divine wrath. But in the past God had always withheld the threat and had taken His people back. Now it is too late. He cannot forgive them any more. Using anthropomorphic language, He is weary with this business of making threats and then withholding the stroke at the last possible instance (Jeremiah 15:6). Judgment will be executed. As the winnowing process separates the chaff from the grain, so God will cause the parents of Judah to be separated from their children. The children who served as soldiers would be slain as they attempted to defend the gates of their cities from the invading enemy. This terrible judgment is necessary because the inhabitants of Judah have not turned from their sinful ways (Jeremiah 15:7). Wives will be deprived of their husbands and hence the land will be left defenseless. Against the mother of the young men, i.e., Jerusalem, God will bring a destroyer at the most unexpected timeat high noon when normally military operations temporarily ceased. Distress and terror will fall upon the mother when she realizes the danger which she faces (Jeremiah 15:8). The woman with numerous children,[205] usually the most proud and joyous inhabitant of the city, will be filled with consternation. With the loss of her children her sun has gone down while it is yet day. In the prime of life all has become dark and dreary for her. All of her hopes, dreams, aspirations are dashed to pieces when the enemy slays her sons. The shame of childlessness[206] comes upon her in full force when the remnant of the nation is given over to the sword of the enemy (Jeremiah 15:9).

[205] She that has borne seven is a proverbial expression meaning one who bears numerous children. See 1 Samuel 2:5 and Ruth 4:15.

[206] The shame of childlessness is repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament. See Jeremiah 50:12; Isaiah 54:4; Genesis 16:4; Genesis 30:1; Genesis 30:23.