Read Jeremiah 27
Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar
27 Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. 3 Then sendword to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. 6 Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. 7 All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him.
8 “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to removeyou far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11 But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the Lord.”’”
12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live. 13 Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. 15 ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”
16 Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lordsays: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin? 18 If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. 19 For this is what the LordAlmighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the movable stands and the other articles that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”
Go Deeper
Since this book is a collection of event’s by Jeremiah’s scribe, sometimes the chapters feel out of order. Today’s reading jumps ahead in the timeline, most likely after the Babylonian invasion. Currently, the people are trying to rebel against their rulers, but God sends a clear message against this. Before hearing about their submission to a worldly king, it is made abundantly clear that God is the one in control here. God continuously uses possessive and personal pronouns of “I” and “my” to indicate His activity in this command. And when He does refer to Nebuchadnezzar, God puts him in his place as “my servant” (v. 6). To call a feared king a servant makes it clear that though Nebuchadnezzar does not follow God, anything he or any of his lineage do will only be within God’s will to further His plan. God is not just passively aware of what is going on, but actively involved in its outcome.
We see a theme throughout the Old Testament of military success only found by trusting God and with His approval. So as the people are trying to revolt, God is making it clear that rebellion is not on His side. His plan is different from their own. The yoke is a symbol of their full submission to serving Nebuchadnezzar. However, God is not just calling them to submission, but also trust. We don’t have a full understanding as to why this was God’s plan but what we do see is the people are listening to false prophets more than God (v. 9). He is teaching them to be fully devoted to Him and His truth.
Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” We are not called to trust when His way seems right to us or when it’s what is popular. Faithfulness is not always convenient or logical, but if it was then it would not be faith. God called his people to hard submission.
It’s easy to pray for God’s path when we have run out of options, but it’s harder to do this when it doesn’t seem like the best way. What is so beautiful about that particular psalm is that God doesn’t tell us we have to know why, we just have to trust Him. Our job is to lean into Him. We get to pray for Him to teach us His way and give us an undivided heart. He is the one at work here, what we get from hard submission is greater nearness to Him and greater understanding of His character!
Questions
- What does this chapter tell us about Jeremiah’s character? What can we learn from him here?
- Jeremiah opens his prophetic message by calling God “The LORD Almighty” or “Jehovah Sabaoth” meaning He is sovereign and mighty over all things. Why do you think Jeremiah opened with this name of God?
- Read Matthew 11:28-30. How does the New Covenant teach about the new yoke? What does it look like for us to submit to His yoke?
Pray This
You are a God who closes doors and kindly says, “Not this, not yet.” Continue to be a God who faithfully directs me and my heart where you would lead me. Help me to walk in your ways, at your pace. Father, you know me and love me more than I do myself; let your plan be sovereign and I the humble servant who surrenders to it. Amen.
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7 thoughts on “Jeremiah 27”
“God is not just passively aware of what is going on, but actively involved in its outcome.” What a comfort! I can’t imagine how grueling it was for Jeremiah to continue to present the word of God day after day and receive such negativity & hatred from the people. Surely he grew weary and needed the reminder of God’s hand and sovereignty over everything. I’m choosing to remain under God’s perfect yoke, one where I find rest from heavy burdens (like the death of my sister) where I’m held and guided by one who is humble and gentle. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalms 68:19).
Ella, I am so sorry for your loss. Praying for you and your family during these days. Please reach out if there is anything I can do.
Ella,
I pray that you will be comforted by “good memories” of your sister; she is in a better place now.. God is a loving God!
Sandy Jenkins
(Charlie Warren’s “Mimi”).
Ella,
Very sorry to hear the news, prayers for you , your family and your sisters family as well.
Keith
Pride, pride and more pride. I can do things better than God. My ways are to die for because they are so good. God is giving them, Judah, so many chances. He wants them to repent. Turn from their evil wrongdoings. BUT GOD is in control and says so here in this chapter. You will either submit/repent or this is your consequence. Boiling water will burn you, but you touch it anyway because of pride. Pride makes us not see the whole picture, only the moment. It keeps us from seeing the mistakes we are going to make or already have made. Read this chapter and apply it to your own life. Where have you not been listening and are being pridefully so that your are not submitting to the plans of God? What kind of destruction is on the other side? Psalm 37 is a balm for my soul.
God open the eyes of my understanding to see You. Open my ears to hear and listen to You God. Thank You for me being able to delight in the ways You are directing my path. God I will not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. God I am going to trust in the You, LORD and do good; and You say that I can dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. God I am going to take delight in You oh LORD, and You will give me the desires of my heart Your word says. I will commit my ways to You ,LORD; trust in You and I believe You will do this (Psalm 37:1-5). God I am so thankful for Your word and the promises therein. Thank You for me seeing Your people through Your love goggles today. Thank You for my ruminating over how You are my delight in these minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!
In Rabbinic literature, the concept of the “yoke” takes on a specific meaning beyond its literal function of harnessing animals. It represents a metaphorical burden or obligation, but not necessarily a negative one. Here’s a breakdown of the Rabbinic understanding of the yoke:
Yoke of Torah: This refers to the responsibility and dedication required to studying and following Jewish law. It’s not a burden of oppression, but a commitment to intellectual and spiritual growth.
Yoke of Commandments: Similar to the Yoke of Torah, it signifies the obligation to observe the Mitzvot (commandments). Here, the yoke represents the structure and guidance these commandments provide for living a meaningful Jewish life.
Yoke of Kingdom of Heaven: This refers to accepting God’s sovereignty and adhering to His will. By embracing this yoke, one prioritizes serving God over worldly concerns.
Sharing the Yoke: Rabbinic teachings also emphasize the importance of sharing burdens with others. This can be seen in the idea of “bearing the yoke with one’s fellow,” which means supporting and helping those in need.
Prayers for the heavy burden of a loved ones’s passing.
12 “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.“
Wow, Jeremiah will never be mistaken for a motivational speaker!