Category: II Chronicles

This begins a new section of Jeremiah and Judah's kings.

So now Nebuchadnezzar is warring against Judah and suddenly the king is desperate for word from the Lord. He actually even hopes the Lord pulls off a miracle like they saw when the Assyrians were at the gates of Jerusalem.

So King Zedekiah sent an envoy to Jeremiah for a word from the Lord. I saw that one was named Pashhur, but it seems to be a different one than the one who had Jeremiah tortured.

Jeremiah answers and it is an absolutely devastating reply from the living God.

• I'm about to turn back your weapons of war
• I am going to war against you- full of anger, wrath, and indignation
• I am going to strike down man and beast with pestilence
• Those who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine will be handed over to captivity to Nebuchadnezzar
• He will not spare them of have any compassion.

“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8

He goes on to explain that he is done with this city and anyone who stays inside will dies by sword, pestilence, or famine. Those who go out of the siege and into the hands of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) will live.

This had to all be stunning news to the envoy. First, the king was actually hoping Jeremiah would do what Isaiah did for Hezekiah and magically make the besieging enemy turn away. Instead, Jeremiah sends a message from God that it's God that going to destroy the, nevermind about Babylon. And He's going to do it with anger and wrath for all the reasons he's been telling them for years! And on top of all of that he gives the counterintuitive advice to leave the besieged city and into the hands of the Babylonians if they want to live. The Lord has passed sentence on the whole city and getting out is the only way.

With 20/20 hindsight this makes sense. As always, He offers life to anyone who trusts Him and nothing says trust like opening the gate and walking into the hands of the besieging army because the Lord promised it was the only way to live.

Then the Lord tells Jeremiah to add another message to the household of the king.

• He calls them the house of David, which is the first sign of good news. The Lord's own covenant is coming down through the house of David, so to me, it's implying that there will be some saved. The remnant He has been promising. After the terrible and specific message of doom just received, this is a very good sign.
• Then He commands them to administer justice to the oppressed.
• This will restrain the wrath and fire against the evil ones.

That's the end of the good news. A very brief list of what they can still do to be on His side in this coming catastrophe.

The chapter closes out with the rest of God's quoted message.

“Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller,
O rocky plain,” declares the Lord,
“You men who say, ‘Who will come down against us?
Or who will enter into our habitations?’
“But I will punish you according to the ^[f]results of your deeds,” declares the Lord,
“And I will kindle a fire in its forest
That it may devour all its environs.”’” Jeremiah 21:13-14

Not a lot to interpret there. Pretty plain talk from their Maker. You think you're safe? You think you've found a place to stand against Me? I will punish your deeds. I will make a fire that consumes any environment you want to hide in.

Judah is coming to the end of her existence as it has been know since they entered the Holy Land. They are about to share in the final defeat as their sister, Israel. The significant difference being that Judah was the only legitimate kingdom all along and God has made promise to the house of David that He is going to keep. So there is hope for a remnant.

God is longsuffering until He is not.

Amen.