| << Jer 34 | |
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| This is the New King James text of the passages. |
Jeremiah 35-37 Listen 
Those gypsy Rechabites...obedient (Jeremiah 35)
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.”
3 ¶ Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites,
4 and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door.
5 Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine.”
6 ¶ But they said, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever.
7 You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’
8 Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,
9 nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed.
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11 But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, “Come, let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians.’ So we dwell at Jerusalem.”
12 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
13 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?” says the LORD.
14 “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me.
15 I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.
16 Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me.” ’
17 ¶ “Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’ ”
18 ¶ And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,
19 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” ’ ”
These events take place two kings before the fall of Jerusalem during Jehoiakim's reign - somewhere between 609 to 598 B.C.
Here's a listing of the last kings of Judah to give you a little perspective:
The Rechabites were tent dwellers who came to Jerusalem because of the Babylonian invasion of Judah. Their gypsy lifestyle was in obedience to their ancestor, Jonadab, who commanded it about 200 or so years earlier; that's a long time to wander like gypsies - the only lifestyle they had ever known. Jeremiah uses them as an object lesson. Jeremiah actually invites Jaazaniah, along with all of the living descendants of Jonadab, to the temple and serves them wine. They decline to partake of the free beverage because of the command of Jonadab. They were still obeying his instructions from 200 years ago, but Judah will not obey their Heavenly Father.
And what were the 200-year-old instructions from Jonadab that these Rechabites were still obeying? Those specific instructions are in verses 6-7:
Now that they have been driven into Jerusalem for fear of Nebuchadnezzar's army, they make a fine example of obedience to a concept. As a matter of fact, this abnormal lifestyle being observed only because a distant forefather had decreed it really must have left an impression on Jeremiah and the other Jews of his day...whether they agreed with the lifestyle or not. So here's the object lesson: If the Rechabites can maintain strict obedience to a rather outlandish 200-year-old decree, why can't Judah obey God? But because they don't seem to be able to do so, disaster shall come upon Judah (verse 17).
We are told in I Chronicles 2:55 (see notes) that "These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab." The first mention of the Kenites in scripture is Genesis 15:19 (see notes). In Genesis 15:18, God promises to give Abraham the real estate where they were dwelling. In Judges 1:16 (see notes) we have this further identification regarding the Kenites, "…the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law…" We are told in Exodus 3:1 (see notes) and Exodus 18:1 (see notes) that Moses' father-in-law was the "priest of Midian." Therefore, it is commonly concluded that the Kenites were associated with the Midianites. So, while the Rechabites had wandered for hundreds of years, their roots seem to be with the Midianites east of Israel.
Incidentally, the "Jeremiah" of verse 3 is a Rechabite and not our prophet, "Jeremiah" - different guy. Jeremiah prophesies that at least a remnant of the Rechabites will endure (verse 19).
Jehoiakim hates to get mail...at least from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36)
1 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 “Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day.
3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4 ¶ Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him.
5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am confined, I cannot go into the house of the LORD.
6 You go, therefore, and read from the scroll which you have written at my instruction, the words of the LORD, in the hearing of the people in the LORD’S house on the day of fasting. And you shall also read them in the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities.
7 It may be that they will present their supplication before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way. For great is the anger and the fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’S house.
9 ¶ Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.
10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’S house, in the hearing of all the people.
11 ¶ When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the book,
12 he then went down to the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber; and there all the princes were sitting—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.
13 Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people.
14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
15 And they said to him, “Sit down now, and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing.
16 ¶ Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.”
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?”
18 ¶ So Baruch answered them, “He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”
19 ¶ Then the princes said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no one know where you are.”
20 ¶ And they went to the king, into the court; but they stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the hearing of the king.
21 So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king.
22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him.
23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.
25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
27 ¶ Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:
28 “Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, “Thus says the LORD: “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast to cease from here?’ ”
30 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.
31 I will punish him, his family, and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the doom that I have pronounced against them; but they did not heed.” ’ ”
32 ¶ Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words.
Jehoiakim only reigned over Judah for 11 years (609-598 B.C.). See the list of kings above. Jehoiakim was placed over Judah as king by the Egyptian ruler who tried to take on the Babylonians and lost (II Kings 24:1-7; II Chronicles 36:1-8,see notes). Afterward, Jehoiakim became the vassal king of Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian king). He was always a loser and always wicked. God instructed Jeremiah to write down his prophecies concerning Judah and send them to the leaders of Judah/Jerusalem. Baruch, Jeremiah's secretary, transcribed the prophecy and then took the document to Jerusalem where he read it to several officials of the government; they felt King Jehoiakim needed to hear these prophecies.
Finally, the scroll was read to the king by Jehudi. However, Jehudi personally took the pages and burned them - cut them out with a penknife - after he read them to the king. After the disposal of this prophecy, it was time for the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah, but God hid them. Subsequently, Jeremiah wrote down the words of the first prophecy (again) along with some additional (really bad) words directed specifically at Jehoiakim. In verses 27-32 we see that God meant business; Jehoiakim had made the biggest mistake of his miserable puppet-king life. Here's the biggest disappointing blow to any king in verse 30, "He [Jehoiakim] shall have no one to sit on the throne of David."
Not so fast! Wasn't Jehoiachin the son of Jehoiakim? Yes, but Jehoiachin’s succession was not a valid one - only a token one because he was immediately besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, surrendered in three months, and then went into exile, where he died after many years. Afterward, King Zedekiah (Jehoiakim's brother) was the uncle of Jehoiachin, not a descendant. Jeremiah's prophecy had been fulfilled.
Jeremiah - to prison again (Jeremiah 37)
1 Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 ¶ And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to the LORD our God for us.”
4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5 Then Pharaoh’s army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.
8 And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.” ’
9 Thus says the LORD: “Do not deceive yourselves, saying, ‘The Chaldeans will surely depart from us,” for they will not depart.
10 For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.’ ”
11 ¶ And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12 that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people.
13 And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Irijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
14 ¶ Then Jeremiah said, “False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him. ¶ So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
15 Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.
16 ¶ When Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17 then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” ¶ And Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!”
18 ¶ Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19 Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, “The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?
20 Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
21 ¶ Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah to the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Now we've moved forward in time to the reign of the last king of Judah, Zedekiah (II Kings 24:17-25:20, see notes). See the list of kings above. Originally placed there as a vassal king by Nebuchadnezzar, he later mounted a rebellion against ol' Neb, for which he was severely punished (family slain, eyes gouged out and deported). Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah to pray for Judah. What does Jeremiah do? He gets a prophecy directly from God and delivers it, but it was another of the doom-and-gloom prophecies for which he was famous.
We see in verse 11 that the Babylonian army temporarily left Jerusalem for fear of a confrontation with the Egyptian army. During that time, Jeremiah left Jerusalem, but was arrested and framed as a traitor over in Benjamin's territory; he was charged with being in cahoots with the Babylonians. The officials worked him over before throwing him into prison where he stayed "many days."
Later, Zedekiah had Jeremiah delivered before him from prison where he privately asked him about the future, but it was still a story of doom and gloom, especially for King Zedekiah, who was told that he would be captured. Jeremiah then points out to King Zedekiah that the (false) prophets who had earlier prophesied that the Babylonians would not come knocking at Jerusalem's door were nowhere to be found now. Jeremiah requested that he not be sent back to prison; instead, he was placed under the guards in the court of the guards. There he was not free, but not isolated in prison either. All Zedekiah wanted was some encouraging news, but Jeremiah could only pass along what God had told him to say; he didn't make the upcoming news; he just reported it - tough job!