Charles Spurgeon Commentary Jeremiah 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Jeremiah 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Jeremiah 4
"If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, if thou wilt return unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight; then shalt thou not be removed; and thou shalt swear, As Jehovah liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory." — Jeremiah 4:1-2 (ASV)
So he sets before them life and death. First, he begins with these words of encouragement. He begs them to come, for God is willing to receive them despite all.
"Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities. Set up a standard toward Zion: flee for safety, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant." — Jeremiah 4:5-7 (ASV)
This was a terrible prophecy. The Chaldeans, who had broken to pieces so many other kingdoms and powers, were on their way. The lion enraged, had leaped from his thicket and was about to tear, and rend, and wreak universal havoc; and if they did not turn to God, their whole land would be laid waste. One would think that such a heavy blow should have awakened them to a sense of their danger and their sin, but, alas! it was not so.
"For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass at that day, saith Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder." — Jeremiah 4:8-9 (ASV)
Universal fear would take hold of them. If they would not rightly fear the Lord and turn to Him, the time would come when, without exception, the greatest and the wisest of them would be overcome by a sudden panic.
"Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the life." — Jeremiah 4:10 (ASV)
God promises them peace, but it was on a condition which they did not fulfill. There was peace while they gave up their sin, but There is no peace, With God, unto the wicked; and so they missed it.
"At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse; a full wind from these shall come for me: now will I also utter judgments against them." — Jeremiah 4:11-12 (ASV)
What an awful line that is. Now also will I give sentence against them. They had been on their trial. They are found guilty.
They will not repent. "Now will I proceed to pronounce their doom and give sentence against them."
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