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 become ripe. Observe, "wine" is here the wine in the grape; the Hebrew yayin seems oiiginally to have meant a cluster of grape^, like the corresponding word {wain) in Arabic (comp. on ch. xlvlii. 33). That ye have taken ; rather, Oiat ye ehdU have taken. (The " captains " had up to this time been in the open country, ver. 7.)
Vers. 13 — 16. — Gedaliah reeeivei • warn- ing of a plot against his life.
Ver. 14.— Baalis the king of the Ammonites. Perhaps the same king referred to in oh. xxvii. 3 as seeking alliance with Zedekiah. He was naturally opposed to the Babylonian official, Gedaliah. Hath sent Ishma^ Ish- mael was connected with the royal family (ch. xli. 1), and mm probably jealous o^ Gedaliah.
H0MILETIC8.
Venu 1— B. — Jeremiah't release. L The innooent often enrFEB with thb GUILTY. It would seem that orders had been given in Jerusalem for the liberation of the prophet (ch. xxxix. 11 — 14), but that, in the confusion of the sack of the city, inferior officers had led off Jeremiah in chains with the rest of the captive.s. Thus he shared the indignities and haidships of companions who deserved a fate from which his innocence should have saved him. It is part of the discipline of life that we should suffer one with another. Amongst men justice is irregular; ignorance and mistakes ol'ten result in unintentional cruelty. Men are dealt with in masses, and the individual must suffer with the multitude.
n. Justice will be ultimatelt effeoteo, Jeremiah is discovered at Bamah, and the mistake rectified. This does not always happen so soon. It is sad to think that, even with our enlightened system of justice, there may be innocent men suffering long years of penal servitude iu convict establishments, without a chance of clearing their character this side the grave. How much more often must such mistakes occur in more barbarous countries 1 But it is a consolation for all who are unjustly treated to know that this is but one of the trials of life, overruled to work wholesome discipline, and is but transitory. Ultimately God will visit each man individually with strict fairness and no possibility of error. There were mistakes made in the sack of Jerusalem ; there will be none in the judgiiieut of all men at the end of the world, AH will be judged, but in the vast crowd of cases there can then be no error, for "shall not the Judge uf all the earth do right ? "
158 THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEEEMIAH. [cH. xu 1— 1&
III. A BECOONITION OF THE JUSTICE OP GoD TENDS TO MAKE MEN MOEBJUST,
The captain of the guard had given sufficient attention to the teaching of Jeremiah to see that the destruction of Jerusalem was predicted by him as a punishment for tha Bins of the Jews. It may appear hypocritical for one of the soldiers, who had bem engaged in the cruel carnage, to reflect piously on the Divine justice of the fate of bis victiius. But is it not quite possible that the impressive words of an inspired prophet — of which his own are evidontly a literal repetition — may have led to his sincere adoption of this view ? Alaric seemed to have honestly believed in his mission as a scourge of God. Might not some such idea have taken possesssion of Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers, if only as an after-thought ? Then it would raise their minda to the sense of the obli'iatinns of justice.
IV. Liberty is one or the pikst of eaethlt blessings. This is now accorded to Jeremiah. Like health and wealth, it is not appreciated till it is lost. We who enjoy it, however, should remember to be more grateful, and to fulfil our noble mission of carrying it to others who are yet languishing under tyranny or in slavery. One of the first promises of the gospel is the gift of liberty to captives (Isa. Ixi. 1). Physical freedom is but the smaller half of the liberty we need. We may have this and yet be slaves. Jeremiah could enjoy it to the full, because he was also possessed of that higher, glorious liberty of the sons of God.
Ver. 6. — 77ie choice of a residence. The captain of the guard gave to Jeremiah the choice between an honourable asylum in Babylon and a return to his own land. The prophet selected tlie latter course. Why did he do so ? Although the circumstances of the case were peculiar, the answer to this question may throw light on some of the considerations which should guide men generally in the selection of their places of abode. Several characteristics may be nntid in Jeremiah's decision, viz. : —
L Fatriotish. Jeremiah had been accused of a treasonable friendship for Babylon. His conduct in deciding to remain in his native land, wrecked and deserted as it was after the war, in preference to enjoying the position of a privileged guest at Babylon, is an ample refutation of all such charges. Patriotism is more than a sense of duty, it is an affection. It does not speak much for the depth of a man's nature that he can leave his native country without a sigh of regret. If we find it necessary to emigrate, genuine patriotism will certainly incline us to settle in one of the colonies of the British Empire rather than in a foreign country. This point should be insisted on at> a duty, not merely treated as a question of sentiment.
n. Consideration fob bei.igiocs associations. Babylon was a heathen city. Jeremiah preferred to remain in the Holy Land. Surely the religious advantages of a neighbourhood should be taken into account as of first importance. Yet many people seem to be stiangely blind to all such considerations. The soil, the scenery, the society, the convenience of the house, are duly considered ; but the Church accommodation is scarcely thought of. A gravel soil is most essential ; healthy religious influences are regarded as of very secondary interest, A beautiful view must be got, though the enjoyment of it means banishment from all heMlthy Church life. How strange thiit heads of families professing to be Christian should act like pagans in this matter, and care so little for the spiritual atmosphere in which their children are to be brought up I