The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 26

Ver. 17.-The consequ~nce of un1·easonablefear. God has already exhorted Jeremiah to courage, and given him the strongest assurances of his own unfailing presence. But now he adds wcm1ing. Fear of the enemies of God will bring not only suffering but shame. 'l'be man who goes out to fight for his country, and turns in cowardice on the day of battle, only escapes the enemy to die a disgraceful death at the hands of his own people. 'l'o meet the thrcatenings of men, we must have in our hearts not only the strength of God but the feat of God. '!'hose who turn from the weapons of God's enemies, whom in God's strength they should meet and conquer, find God himself in arms against them. He himself visibly and signally confounds the unfaithful, and thus even in the unfaithfulness of the messenger he who sends him is all the more honoured, As yet, of course, Jeremiah had not been tried, and all through his prophecies there is no 8ign that personal fear ever entered his mind. He had a very sensitive nature; he was often, almost continually one may say, the subject of depressing emotion, but the fear of no man, however dignified and powerful that man might be, deterred him from ,L plain exposure of his misdoings. And yet, although the prophet did not fall into un- faithfulness, it was well to warn him beforehand. Warning never comes unsuitably to any servant of God. He who stands should never take it amiss if he be exhorted to. take heed lest he fall. And all the securing words with which God follows up the "·arning here do not make that warning one whit less needful. 'fhe prophet was to become like a fortress, as far as God could surround him with protection; but all the protection would avail him nothing, if he became careless as.to his own believing con-. nection with God. When faith fails, the whole spiritual man becomes vulnerable, and to become vulnerable soon leads to being actually wounded.-"'-Y. Vers. 1-3.-.A protracted ministry. The ministry of Jeremiah attracts attention· because of its length, the varied scenes amidst which it was carried on, and the external aspect of failure worn by it from first to last. May there not be in these and other respects a moral attaching to it for those who in distant .ages can regard it as.a whole/ and in connection with the subsequent Divine evolution of events of which it spoke? Contrast it with that of John the Baptist. • I. ITs BACKGROUND OF omcuMST.A..NCE. Five Ieigns : for the most part brief; two of them ridiculously or tragically so. Beginning in a fitful flush of religious enthusiasm,. and ending in a long and shameful captivity. Foreign. politics were unusually interest-, ing. The Medo-Babylonian overthrow of Syria was about to take place when he began.; in the twenty-third year of his ministry Nebuchadnezzar laid the foundation of Baby- lonian empire in the victory of Carchemish, in which Israel was subdued, and universal rule passed into his hnnds; the invasion of Judrua followed in four years, and in the eleventh year of Zedekiah Jerusalem was taken. Personally his had been a chequered career. For twenty-two years comparatively obscure;• for the. most part probably at Anathoth. But towards the end of this period he came to Jerusalem. We find him in the temple (eh. vii. 2); in the gates of the city (eh. xvii. 19); in prison (eh. xnii. 2) ;: in the king's house ( eh. xxii. 1; xxxvii. 17) ; and then at times in Egypt; There ,are. two traditions as to his death-one that he was stoned by the. Jews in their settlement at Tahapanes, in Ecrypt; the other that Nebuchadnezzar,'_having in the twenty~seventh year of his reign co';iquered Egypt, took him and Baruch with him to Babylon. ·In any case, he probably lived to an extreme age. . . • II. ITs MESSAGE. To warn against idolatry, by e:x.posing:its real nature and:declaring its consequences. But through all and beyond all, to declare the indestructibleness of the kingdom of God, the certain advent of "'l'he Lord our Righteousness," and .the ultimate glory and happiness of a redeemed and purified people. Of scarce any other prophet can it be said that ~is ~redictions we!e so absolutely, and. to pres~nt_ percep- tion hopelessly future. Yet JS hJS tone on this account none the less believing and confident. III. ITB DIVINE SIGNIFICANCE, The " burden" of Jeremiah is identical from reign to reign, although the illustrative and occasioning circumstances vary. May we not say that: 1. The personality of the prophet had a place in the Divine intention P Certain we are that its influence was second only to that of his words, if even to that. His astonisLment, sorrow, hope, etc., are all instructive and remarkable. 2." The word of God liru to deal with the continuity and development of error, and will outlast it, The OH, I, 1-19,] 'filE llOOK 0.1!' 'l'HE PROPHE/r JEREMIAH. ]!)