THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Jeremiah: Prophet Of Judgment Followed By Blessing

Part XLIX: God's Punishment Of The Gentile Nations For Sin

(Jeremiah 25:15-38)

I. Introduction

A. God's prophet Jeremiah had been commissioned by the Lord to prophesy a message of coming judgment on the nation Judah chiefly for her sin of adopting and practicing pagan Gentile idolatry, Jeremiah 1:15-16.

B. However, God as Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1) opposite pagan gods who were local deities is the God of all humans, including Gentiles, so they were also accountable to Him!

C. This truth is made evident in Jeremiah 25:15-38, and we view it for our insight, instruction and edification:

II. God's Punishment Of The Gentile Nations For Sin, Jeremiah 25:15-38 ESV.

A. Jeremiah told of God's sending him to pronounce His judgment on "all the nations," that they were all to take the wine cup of His fury and drink it, a figurative expression for experiencing God's judgment, Jer. 25:15.

B. These nations would drink of God's wrath and, like a drunkard, they would stagger and be crazed due to its effects, for God would send a sword of other nations to defeat and to devastate them, Jeremiah 25:16.

C. Jeremiah then testified that he took the cup of God's wrath from His hand and, apparently in a prophetic vision, made all the nations to whom the Lord sent him to drink of it, Jeremiah 25:17. These nations included the following list of nations with their judgments as recorded in Jeremiah 25:18-26:

1. They included Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, including their kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a dishonored waste and a curse, Jeremiah 25:18.

2. Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, officials, people and all the mixed tribes among them would also taste of God's wrath by an invading army, Jeremiah 25:19-20a.

3. All the kings of Uz, likely in northern Arabia to the east of Judah (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1161) and the kings of the Philistines to Judah's west would similarly taste of God's judgment, Jeremiah 25:20b.

4. Edom and Moab and the sons of Ammon, relative nations of Israel (by Esau and Lot respectively) listed from south to north and east of Judah would face God's judgment (Jer. 25:21; Ibid.) as would the Gentiles of Tyre, the kings of Sidon and the coastland across the sea to Israel's north and west, Jer. 25:22; Ibid.

5. Dedan, Tema and Buz located on the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula (Ibid.) who cut the corners of the hair in idolatry and all the kings of Arabia and the mixed tribes who dwelt in the Arabian desert would be judged by the Lord, Jeremiah 25:23-24; Ibid.

6. The kings of Zimri, Elam and Media were located east of the Tigris River, nations that were conquered by Babylon, and they would face God's judgment, Jeremiah 25:25; Ibid., p. 1161-1162.

7. Indeed, God included all the nations of the north, both far and near, and all the kingdoms on the face of the whole earth of the known world as having to drink of the wine cup of God's wrath followed by the king of Babylon who was used of God to administer that judgment himself having to drink of that cup, Jer. 25:26.

D. God directed Jeremiah after having given this cup of his wrath out to the nations to tell them to drink of it, to be drunk and to vomit, to fall and rise no more because of the sword He was sending among them, Jer. 25:27.

E. If they refused to accept this cup, Jeremiah was to tell them, "You must drink," for if God was going to bring disaster on Jerusalem that was called by His name, these other nations would surely not go unpunished, for God was going to punish all of these nations, Jeremiah 25:28-29.

F. [The view that all the Gentiles were accountable to Israel's God is based on the Genesis 1 revelation that Israel's God is the Creator of heaven and earth, not just a local pagan deity that the Gentiles worshiped!]

G. Thus, God had Jeremiah predict how He in great fury would roar, shout and enter into judgment against the nations, moving like a great storm that brings total destruction, Jeremiah 25:30-32.

H. The bodies of the slain would lie unburied (Jer. 25:33) so the leaders of the Gentiles were to see their countries like flocks of sheep be slaughtered as God like an infuriated Lion devastated them, Jeremiah 25:34-38.

Lesson: If God would destroy Jerusalem where He put His name due to her idolatry, He would surely devastate the Gentile nations around Israel, using Babylon to do so, only later to devastate Babylon herself for her sins.

Application: (1) Since God is the Creator of the universe, He is God of all human beings, so everyone on earth is accountable to Him to obey Him or face His discipline. (2) May we view ourselves as being just as vulnerable to God's discipline as any nation named in this chapter, including God's people of Judah, that we then HEED Him!