JEREMIAH 14 - Drought, famine, sword

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** This new discourse in Jeremiah 14 continues to Jeremiah 17:18

The Israelites were in tears, but it was rather a cry of their troubles and sin than a prayer; the prophet Jeremiah prayed for them because they realized they would rather lose their creature-comforts than experience the departure of God  <H83>

Jeremiah 14:1-3 NIV

[1] This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: [2] “Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. [3] The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.

Jeremiah 14:7-8 NIV

[7] Although our sins testify against us, do something, Lord, for the sake of your name. For we have often rebelled; we have sinned against you. [8] You who are the hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night?

** The Lord instructs Jeremiah not to pray for the Israelites because He will not listen; judgment is imminent when unrepentant hearts persist

Jeremiah 14:11-12 NIV

[11] Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. [12] Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”

Jeremiah 15:1,6-7 NIV

[1] Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! [6] You have rejected me,” declares the Lord. “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back. [7] I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways.

** The Jerusalem Principle applies when a nation reaches a point of no return and the Lord determines that its destruction will not be postponed. This happened to the city of Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom of Judah about 2700 years ago during the time of the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah. Three times Jeremiah was told to stop praying for the people of Judah.

Jeremiah 14:11-12 NIV

[11] Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. [12] Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”

Jeremiah 7:16 NIV

[16] “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.

Jeremiah 11:14 NIV

[14] “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.

Jeremiah 16:5-7 NIV

[5] For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people,” declares the Lord. [6] “Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut themselves or shave their head for the dead. [7] No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn for the dead---not even for a father or a mother---nor will anyone give them a drink to console them.

After Jeremiah received his instructions to quit praying for the people of Judah, he forewarned them of their impending judgment. The people were captured and transported into Babylonian captivity where they remained for seventy years. Their homeland sat desolated during that period.  <S198>

** Prophets in Jeremiah’s day were telling everyone ‘not to worry’ because everything is going to be ok even though the Babylonians were attacking the city and Jeremiah was warning otherwise  <H87>

Beware of current-day ‘prophets’ who want to avert our eyes from what is really going on; even the people they are prophesying to, who go along with wickedness, will suffer consequences!

Jeremiah 14:13-16 NIV

[13] But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.' ” [14] Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. [15] Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. [16] And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.

Jeremiah 16:9-11 NIV

[9] For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place. [10] “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?' [11] then say to them, 'It is because your ancestors forsook me,' declares the Lord, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law.

** God has never been pleased when people put unauthorized words in His mouth  <F64>

• Entertaining stories of Biblical accounts often introduce fiction into Biblical fact

• Creative license is needed to provide 'more interesting' storylines that 'fill in gaps' not offered in Scripture

• As a result, edited stories confuse those who don't read their Bible to fact check and discern from fiction

• We don't need someone's fantastic thoughts embellishing what God provides for us in the Bible

• God's Word has been sufficient for countless generations over thousands of years, conveying exactly what God wants people to know -- no more, no less

Jeremiah 14:14 NIV

[14] Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.

Jeremiah 23:16 NIV

[16] This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.