PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2
Thomas Kelly Cheyne, 1841–1915 · 355,481 words · 309 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 61
coming on the land, and many more when away in exile would mourn. But the prophet knew that their hearts would he cheered and sustained hy the earnest and confident assurance that " their captivity should return." For their sake, therefore, Lc reiterated this word. And in order to our now earnestly proclaiming tiie …
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IV. That the promise is but delated ? This is loudly maintained by many. They who believe that the Jews will be restored to their native land, expect it on the express ground that Canaan has never been actually and permanently theirs. A certain tract of country, three hundred miles in length by two hundred in breadt…
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II. The fact of auoH a bevelation. Peace is revealed in Jesus Christ. In him there is the secret of a composure and a steadfastness unaffected by all the common causes of discord and instability. He had an unusual number of enemies, and this because he was so persistent in declaring righteousness ; and yet all the t…
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IL Thb implied contrast with other scions who were not eiqhteoub. Sciona of unrighteousness had already spruDg up, had their day, and done their mischief. Their portion made their charactfr and doings peculiarly pernicious. With a dis- position to act unjustly and unrighteously, they had power to act over a very lar…
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Ver. 4. — Yet hear the word of the Lord, ete. Cleady this introduces a limitation of the foieguing threat. Zedekiah will, it is true, be carried to Babylon, but he will not suffer a violent death ; he will " die in peace," and be buried with all customary royal honours. A difiiculty, however, lias been felt in a…
1,196 wordsSECTION 66The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 66
II. The mitigation. The doom is not utter. " In wrath God remembers mercy.'' God never delights to punish, never gives one blow more than is absolutely necessary ; does not hate, but pities and grieves for the victim. So Zedekiah 's life is to be spared, and he is to receive a measure of honour in his captivity. The…
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Vers. 8 — 22. — False obedience. An incident of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. At the first alarm the liberation of the Hebrew slaves was declared and solemnly ratified, according to the sabbatic law, which had long sunk into desuetude, i'he aim of this was a purely military one, viz. the advantage to be d…
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III. The kinq infatuated by evil counsels. There is reason to believe that, left to himself, lie would have hearkened to the prophet. But those around him persuaded him to disregard all that the prophet said. Hence this opportunity of salvation for himself and for his people was put away. For had he obeyed, the thre…
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II. What this history suggests as to such character. It suggests: 1. Its nature. That it is a halting perpetually between two opinions — a condition of perpetual inde- cision 1 You never know where to find such men, or can be sure as to what they will do. They promise so well ; they turn out so ill. Like a chip on a…
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II. The Word of God condemns it. 1. Not by direct prohibition. Enough is known in the circumstances of the ages of the Bible to show abundant reason wherefore the servants of God were not commissioned to go and everywhere denounce this practice. 2. Kor by the absence of examples of good men who kept slaves. It was t…
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Yer. 2. — ^The house of the Beohabltes (" house " equivalent to " family "). From a notice in 1 Chron. ii. 55 it appears that the Rechabites were a subdivision of the Kenites, the nomad tribe so closely con- nected with the Israelites (Judg. i. 16; It. IS — 22; comp. Numb. x. 29), especially with the tribe of Ju…
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I. Thbib nomadic habits. It is refreshing to meet these quiet, simple people after wearying ourselves with sickening sights of the vice and hyprocrisy of the court and city life of Jerusalem. We are inclined to think too much of external civilization. Making allowance for exasgerations and eccentricities, we may fin…
1,036 wordsSECTION 73The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 73
FILIAL OBEDIENCE TO MEN. The Rechabites were a rebuke to the Israelites. Tet the Israelites had less excuse for disobeying their heavenly Father than the Rechabites would have had for neglecting the ordinances of their ancestor. Matthew Henry clearly indicates the points of contrast somewhat as follows. I give his t…
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II. A MAGNIFIED PERSONAL INFLUENCE. The hold this man obtained over the con- duct of his descendants through so many generations was most remarkable. A man ol marked character, great reputation for sanctity, wisdom, and power of impressing others with his [leculiar views, forms a conception of what life ought to be,…
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I. God sanctions the tempebancb vow. (Of. ver. 18.) How many and manifold are these sanctions 1 By tlie rewards of obedience thereto; by the doom which follows disobedience to the laws of temperance; by his providence and his Spirit speaking within ; by the laws of health, of thrift, of social well-being, of conscie…
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II. They are the peoducts and proofs of the love of (Jod to mah. Hence : 1. The heart of the parent is filled with love to his children. 2. This love leads to desire earnestly the cliild's well-being. 3. To secure this, God has given (1) a respon- sive love in the heart of the child towards its parent ; (2) the inst…
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II. How FAB THE Rechabites WERE REALLY FBAisED. After all, Rechabite and Israelite were really the same sort of beings. If they had exchanged places, they would haye exchanged conduct. The Israelite was quite capable of sticking, with utmost tenacity, to some external rule. And the Rechabite, we may be quite sure, w…
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Ver. 7. — They will present their supplica- tion; literally, their tupplication will fall (as margin). The phrase seems to be sug- gested by the gesture of a suppliant. Hence humility is one idea ; but success is entirely another. That which lights down before one's eyes cannot be disregarded. Hence, in ch. xxxv…
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Ver. 23. — Three or four leaves; rather, columng or cmnpartments. " Leaves " would imply that it was B book out of wliich Jehudi read, whereas it was a roll (m'gillah never has any other meaning). But " books " were not yet known, nor would a knife have been necessary to separate the pages. He out it. The subjec…
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III. What was the scope and aim op the boll ? 1. It was a record of God^t wrath against sin and a denunciation of judgment. The words so important that they needed to be thus recorded were spoken " against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations " (ver. 2). People like to forget disagreeable ideas and…
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Vers. 22 — 26.-2^ hurtling of the roll. When the princes informed Jehoiakim of the circumstances connected with the reading of Jeremiah's prophecies, the king sent an attendant, Jehudi, to fetch the roll and read it to him. It has been said that he showed contempt for the Word of God by relegating the reading to a p…
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Ver. 32 (last clause). — The development of revelation. " And there were added besides unto them many like words." The second roll was a transcript of the first, but with numerous additions, though these were ail similar in character to the original prophecies. We have here, on a small scale, an instance of that dev…
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II. Its bugqestive interest. An element of pathos and mystery. Perhaps the end better served in this than in the alternative way. Conceivable that the reading, the authoritative publication, and the supernatural interest, may have been enhanced rather than otherwise by the substitution. 1. The community of true serv…
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Vers. 20 — 26. — " Jehoiakim's penknife."' This became ft proverbial phrase for religious indifference of the most callous description. Not that Jehoiakim actually cut the roll himself; but Jehudi, who did it, was evidently under his orders. It is a little imcertain as to whether the whole of the manuscript, or a pa…
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Vers. 27 — S2.—The Word of Ood ; wherein it can and wherein it cannot he destroyed- I. Wherein it can be destroyed. 1. In its outward form and medium. The roll i inspired records; religious institutions and means of grace; individual believers aad Churches. 2. As a vehicle of blessing to a man's own soul. Jehoiakim …
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IIL But such a record was absolutely neoessart. For if the existence of God be allowed, and that it is his desire to reclaim men from their sin and to bring them back to himself, it may be asked : 1. Eow could this be done accept hy his revealing himself to men f They must be enabled to know him, and to know him in …
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IV. Because he intends his " mat bk " to become " shall be." He would have us fellow-workers with him, and therefore he encourages our efforts, but hides from us that which would lead us to think them unnecessary. And probably the " may be " will become " shall be," though not at the time nor in the manner we expect…
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TTT Such as are not yet ra the visible Church. Amongst those whom we deem outside the Church, God has his chosen, whom one day he will call. Who, looking on the murderers of St. Stephen, would have thought that amongst them God had one of his choicest servants? This is the disjiensation, not of universal conversion …
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n. The new. 1. The messenger. Not Jeremiah, but Baruch ; not a prophet, but » prophet's deputy ; not a word spoken, but a word read ; not a part of Jeremiah's utterances, but the whole, so that people might have it brought home to them how much they had neglected. Old truth appears in new framework and new relations…
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III. The result of the interposition. Jeremiah was hidden and preserved because his work was. cot yet done. His words had to be put down in writing ; and it is interesting to notice that the second copy was an improvement on the first. All that was in the first was also in the second, and many like words were added.…
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message from Gorl to him through Jeremiah, he is not the less anxious to secure the prophet's intercession with God for deliverance from appri aching calamity. The king illustrates the too common case of those peo| le who will fly to the protection of religion in trouble, though they neglect all its obligations of h…
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Vm. 10. — The irresistible wiU of God. I. The fact. The Jews were ready to believe that Egypt was a match for Babylon, and to hope that, through the conflict of these two powers they might regain their liberty. Even if they were justified in thinking so from a calculation of the material resources of these great emp…
1,212 wordsSECTION 93The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 93
Vers. 6 — 10. — Hopes that betray. The king, continuing in Ws rebellion •gainst God as well as against Nebucliadnezzar, invoked the aid of Pharaoh-Necho. At the tidings of his advance the Chaldeans raised the siege, but only that they might defeat the Egyptians, and return again in greater force and fury. I. The NA…
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III. How USELESS SUCH PRAYERS ARE. Did the [irayer of Dives do any good? or of the five foolish virgins? or those of the prophet, for we may suppose that he did pray? Now, the reasons of their uselessness are such as these : 1. To have grauted them would have defeated God's purpose in regard to his people. That purp…
1,123 wordsSECTION 95The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 95
opportunity for and suggests reflection. How often of our Lord is it said, " He answered not a word " (cf. John xiii.) I 2. Sometimes hy indignant denial. Thus the prophet acted here ; ver. 14, " It is false," etc. They might have known, and probably did know, bow false their accusation was. Where there is great and…
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I. The notion Zedekiah had of God. A notion eridently altogether detached from any considerations of character; we are told in ver. 2 that Zedediah did aot hearken to the words of the Lord through his prophet Jeremiah, and we could infer as much from the request here addressed to the propliet. Zedekiah looked upon J…
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Vers, 17 — 19. — ITie secret question of a kivg and the lold answer o/a prophet. L Thb SEOBET QUESTION OF A EiNQ. 1. The secrecy. Why should a king with all his authority do a thing in secrecy ? Was it policy or fear that dictated this secret consul- tation with Jeremiah ? Fear, probably, was the largest element. He…
1,215 wordsSECTION 98The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 98
gredecessors, who liad passed into his own arem as concubines. Even Hezekiah, as Payne Smith well points out, had a numerous harem (' Becords of the Past,' i. S9, where " daughters " is equivalent to " girls "). Zeilekiah's own wives are spoken of in the next verse. Thy friends have set thee on, eto. The first h…
1,217 wordsSECTION 99The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 99
L Thekb are things in bevelation which appear to indicate misanthboft. When God utters his voice he does not always speak in dulcet notes. We may hear harsh, grating thunders of Sinai. The message is not always pleasant. It makes us feel uncomfortable, exposes our worst characteristics, and has no pity on our little…
1,211 wordsSECTION 100The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 2 — Section 100
IV. The feab op ridicule mat end in fatal results. Jeremiah pointed this out to the king (ver. 23). The horrible charge of having brought about the burning of the city would be attached to his name, and the guilt of it to his soul. Here was a far greater cause of alarm than the danger of a langh. Weak men who are mo…
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an illuBtrJous and obscure human consciousness had the cross made its impress ere the Redeemer of mankind was called upon to suffer. 1. They proved the necessity of ChrisVa sufferings. As the true character of the issue between good and evil declared itself more and more plainly, it became evident that some more dec…
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Yen. 11, 12. — " Old cast eHouts." This Incident is very vividly described ; tmi " the touch of human kindliness in the good negro's direction to Jeremiah to put under his armpits the soft rags thrown down to him, to prevent the chafing of the cords which drew him up, is inimitably natural." The sharp cords would ot…
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I. Whekbfoke DO MEN 80 DISLIKE TRUTH ? Somc of the reasous are : 1. Because truth must often say many things that are unpleasing. No matter by what voice the message comes — Scripture, conscience, or our fellow-men, — truth at times will become censure, and that hurts our self-love. 2. We are not really in earnest i…
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III. Wherefore does God suffkb his servants to be subjected to such distress ? To deepen their hold upon God, as the storms cause the trees to take deeper root in the earth. To make them realize more than ever the help they have in God. To cultivate and foster those fruits of the Spirit, such as patience, humility, …
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y. How MUCH FULL DECISION FOB GoD 18 NEEDED. This alous wiU keep us from such sad endeavour ; but this will. Therefore seek grace from God to make and abide by this choice ; and bring yourselves under the blessed attraction of Christ ; so shall you be drawn to him more and more, and made to abide in him. — 0. Ver. …
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Vers. 7 — 13. — A friend in need. L Thi hationautt of Ebed-Meleoh. An Ethiopian. Jeremiah had asked in prophecy, " Can the Ethiopian change his skin ? " from which question we may assume that Ethiopians were well known in Israel. Une cannot but feel that here we have a sort of counterpart to that other Ethiopian eun…
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Ver. 23. — The end of Zedekiah'* irresolution. Irresolution it may he called rather than disobedience. There is nothing to show that he had definitely made up his mind not to obey the voice of the Lord. In spite of the clear announcement made to him, he seems to have gone on, lioping against hope that some decisive …
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This chapter is very confused as it stands. To restore order it is absolutely necessary to suppose that some passages (viz. vers. 1, 2, and vers. 4 — 13) have been inserted by afterlhougbts. It is important to notice that the latter of these passages is omitted in the Septuagiut. We need not go so ha as to excis…
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Vers. 11, 12. — A prophet hefriended by a heathen Mng, Bumoun of Jatemiah's efforts to induce the Jevys to submit to the Babylonian power must have reached the ears of Nebuchadnezzar, and have led him to regard the prophet with favour. If his fellow- countrymen considered Jeremiah to be a traitor, it was natural tli…
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I. Jeremiah's exceptional case showed that, in the uidst of the most terbiblb OAiiAMiTiES, God is free to work out the peaceable ends and gracious rewards OF HIS KINGDOM. He was hut one out of the entire nation, and might easily have been overlooked. Indeed, his sympathetic brothcrliness haii all but des.royed the a…
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1. Death ends all. But who can prove this? Why is it less possible that we should live in another condition than that we should have been born into the one in wliich we now are ? Resurrection is not antecedently more incredible than crtation. 2. Ood too merciful. But is he? Does he not do or suffer to be done fearfu…
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152 THE BOOK OF THE PUOPHBT JEUEMIAH. [ch. xxxix. 1—18, Yes, no doubt ; but will he ? If he has got so into tlie habit of saying " No " to Ood will ht — is it likely?— at the last turn and say, "Yes"? Death-bed repentancesi — are there any such things ? That which determines a soul's destiny is not death, but this …
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Vers. 11 — 14. — Churchwardens. 1. These are generally chosen from the friends oj Che Church, as they who are to defend and guard the Church's interests should be. Who should care for the Church if not her friends ? 2. But sometimes men who are no friends of the Church have charge of her interests. 3. And not seldom…
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Vers. 1 — 8. — Siege and savagery. I. The uankeb in which thb oaptubb oi Jerusaleh is belated. Just enough is told to certify to us the complete aud exact fulfilment of prophecy. There is a long siege, a great destruction, and great hnmili«tion and suffering for the captured king. It is no part ot the province of Sc…
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And it is all the more noticeable because Jeremiah himself had, in due course, to make predictions against Babylon. Why some of God's servants live long lives and some short ones is not a fortuitous matter ; there is always a reason, could we but see it, and sometimes, as in this instance, there is a glimmer of ligh…
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Ver. 10. — To serve the Chaldeans ; rather, to itand before ihe Chaldean* (so literally) ; i.e. to mediate between you and them (comp. oh. XV. 1). Gather ye wine, etc. It was the fifth or sixth month (comp. oh. xli. 1 ; 2 Kings xxv. 8), the end of July or the beginning of Au^^ugt, when grapes, flgs, and olives b…
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III. The sacrifice of personal convenience to the good op others. Ezekiel could minister to the cap' ives in Babylon. Jeremiah had his work in comforting the remnant in the land of Israel. If he had consulted his own convenience, he might have accepted the offer of a safe and probably honourable position in the land…
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II. How uuoH IS REQUIRED TO JUSTIFY A WRONG ACTION It was a case, apparently, on Johanan's showing, of self-protection. Ishmael contemplated murder and treachery ; what more natural than that he should be killed? Yet this consideration had no weight with Gedaliah. His informant might be mistaken, and was, perhaps, i…
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HI. The bxobption which men make to this consent. It is strange that there should be exception, but there is. We find it when we look at men's spiritual affairs. Government there is as necessary as in that which is temporal — indeed, far more so, consideriijg the far greater value of the interests at stake. And yet …
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rv. What leads to this ebbob. Cf. the history. 1. Perhaps Geclaliah's conscious integrity ; his freedom from all intent of evil. 2. Or over-elation at the loyalty and trust that were being'displayed on all sides. 3. The accused man had himself (ver. 8) come to Gudaliah. 4. Or dislike to Johanan and liis pioposals. 5…
1,071 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Text from OCR of an original historical scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.