THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Jeremiah: Prophet Of Judgment Followed By Blessing

Part XXXI: God's Condemnation Of Sinners Beyond The Point Of No Return

(Jeremiah 15:1-9)

I. Introduction

A. After delivering the model confession of sin that God wanted Jeremiah to give to Judah in Jeremiah 14:17-22, God told Jeremiah that Judah stood condemned beyond the point of no return, Jeremiah 15:1-9.

B. Such a message of doom would be pointless to give to those in Judah too hardened to repent, but Romans 15:4 explains that it was written down for our learning to give us patience, comfort and hope.

C. We thus view the Jeremiah 15:1-9 message of Judah's doom to discern how God wants us to be edified by it:

II. God's Condemnation Of Sinners Beyond The Point Of No Return, Jeremiah 15:1-9.

A. After giving the model repentance in Jeremiah 14:17-22, God told Jeremiah that though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Him to intercede for Judah, He would not forgive her, Jer. 15:1a. Mention of both men is significant because Moses had interceded for Israel to turn away God's wrath (Exodus 32:9-14; Num. 14:11-20; Deut. 9:18-20, 25-29) as also had Samuel (1 Sam. 7:5-11; 12:19-25), Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1148.

B. God thus directed Jeremiah to send the people of Judah out of his sight, to let them go away, Jeremiah 15:1b.

C. Jeremiah's proclamation of this dismissal news might leave his hearers asking, "Where shall we go?" (Jer. 15:2a ESV), so God directed him to declare their departure into various judgments of doom, Jer. 15:2 ESV:

1. Those who were destined to die by disease were to die by disease in the invasion, Jeremiah 15:2b.

2. Those who were destined to die by the sword were to die by the sword in the invasion, Jeremiah 15:2c.

3. Those who were destined to die by famine were to die by famine in the invasion, Jeremiah 15:2d.

4. Those who were destined to go into captivity were to go into captivity in the invasion, Jeremiah 15:2e.

D. For those destined to die, God said He would appoint four kinds of destroyers -- the sword to kill, the dogs to tear and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy, Jeremiah 15:3.

E. God added that He would make Judah's defeated people a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what king Manasseh the son of Hezekiah had done in Jerusalem, Jeremiah 15:4. Manasseh had "polluted Jerusalem with idolatry," making her destruction inevitable (2 Kings 21:10-13; Ibid.), but the people were just as guilty as Manasseh for not only tolerating this influx of idols, but also worshiping them instead of God.

F. In the extended section of poetry in Jeremiah 15:5-9, the Lord spoke of Judah's inevitable, great coming doom:

1. God rhetorically asked Jerusalem who would pity her, who would grieve over her or turn aside to ask about her welfare, revealing that she would be abandoned and uncared for in her destruction, Jer. 15:5.

2. This rejection by others would be God's judgment on Judah for her rejection of the Lord, by her continuing to go backward away from Him and after false gods, so God would stretch out His hand against her to destroy her because He was tired of relenting from carrying out such judgment, Jeremiah 15:6.

3. God figuratively spoke of winnowing Judah with a winnowing fork, removing unbelievers from the believers in death by the invasion because the lost were like useless chaff (Ibid., p. 1149), and He would then bereave them for His having destroyed them because they did not turn from their ways, Jer. 15:7.

4. Judah's widows would become numerous, and the Lord would have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday to make these mothers suddenly experience anguish and terror, Jeremiah 15:8.

5. The woman who had born seven sons would grow feeble at the death of all those sons, fainting away, the sun of hope in her life going down in the midst of the day in shame and disgrace while all the rest in Israel would be given to the sword before their enemies, Jeremiah 15:9.

Lesson: Since Judah's people had reached the point of no return in their hardness against repenting, the Lord told Jeremiah that He would level great judgment on the nation with physical, mental and emotional disasters on both men and women. Such a message of doom was only worthwhile to those who were NOT HARDENED unto judgment, men like Jeremiah or believers who read this message, so God wants US to know that He WILL punish wicked people who do not repent, that our service efforts for Him are not in vain! [Note how this message fits the parables of the dragnet and the householder in Matthew 13:47-52, encouraging God's messengers to stay faithful in ministering His Word as God would judge all hearers, including the wicked who will not heed them!]

Application: May we who love and heed the Lord and also minister His Word be encouraged that our labor is not in vain even if men reject our ministries, for God holds everyone accountable, and He will judge all men.