Lectionary Calendar

Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 52

JeremiahJer 51 JeremiahJer LamentationsLam 1

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Verses 1-34

Intro:
1. 41 Messages!
  1. Thanks for your patience & endurance. Speaking of my teaching not God’s word!
  2. My apologies last week went over trying to complete Babylon’s judgment.
2. Q: What was your favorite verse, story, or thing you learned in this book? (I’ll give you a chance to share that at the end).
3. In ch.52 we have the Fall of Jerusalem in review.
  1. The last thing mentioned in ch.51 ended Jeremiah’s words. Jeremiah’s editor might have added this last chapter (not in any way saying it’s not inspired!) It basically almost word for word 1 Kings 24:18-25:30.
  2. This book ends with now looking over our shoulder & taking 4 snap shots of what’s gone on.
4. Outline: The City Besieged & Burned; The Temple Burned & Burglarized; The People Brought to Babylon; The Prisoner Bailed out & Banqueting.
THE CITY BESIEGED & BROKEN! (1-11)
1. Zedekiah was a “double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
  1. “He found himself between the hammer of Babylon & the anvil of his people.” Kidner
  2. He 1^st broke faith with God(2); then with his overlord(3b).
2. Lessons from this siege!
  1. [1] God WILL perform his threats!
    1. Q: Is there an area of your life in which you’ve been pushing His patience?
  2. [2] Delay of judgment is NO reason for expecting it to be permanently withheld.
    1. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t care, nor that sin hasn’t consequences.
    2. He will settle All accounts justly!
    3. Q: Would a speedier judgment cause us to be more Holy?
    4. Yes! See Eccl. 8:11
    5. Then look at Solomons last word - Eccl.12:14!
  3. [3] Don’t believe in good luck charms!
    1. They trusted in their City & their Temple.
    2. Saul’s army trusted in “the magical ark.”
    3. We can’t be careless & confident in “things!”
    4. Q: What are you leaning on or trusting in? What specific changes do you need to make to rid yourself of that ‘good luck charm”.
  4. [4] The favor of God is no protection against the punishment of sin.
    1. God, as a good parent, “spares not the rod” on his children. Knowing that “no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
    2. They saw themselves as divine favorites! They thought they were bullet proof!
    3. Q: Do you see yourself this way? (maybe cause the numbers of years you’ve known the Lord?) Don’t let comfort lead too careless!
THE TEMPLE BURNED & BURGLARIZED! (12-23)
1. Vs.23 - So the world will rob us, of spiritual power & wealth if we let it get the upper hand.
  1. G.H. Charnley, in The Skylark's Bargain, tells the story of a young skylark who discovered one day a man who would give him worms for a feather. He made a deal -- one feather for two worms.The next day the lark was flying high in the sky with his father. The older bird said, "You know, son, we skylarks should be the happiest of all birds. See our brave wings! They lift us high in the air, nearer and nearer to God." But the young bird did not hear, for all he saw was an old man with worms. Down he flew, plucked two feathers from his wings and had a feast. Day after day this went on.Autumn came and it was time to fly south. But the young skylark couldn't do it. He had exchanged the power of his young wings for worms. That is our constant temptation in life -- to exchange wings for worms.
  2. Q: Has your temple(your body) been burnt or burglarized? Have you been plucking feathers & trading them for worms?
    1. {a fat dumpy naked bird, is easy prey for the enemy!}
THE PEOPLE BROUGHT TO BABYLON! (24-30)
1. Vs.30 – The repetition of this narrative shows how deeply God loves His people, even when their conduct proves them to be wholly unworthy of being loved.
  1. God could have done the Sodom & Gomorrah thing to them!
  2. “It is impossible to exhaust the Love that fills God’s heart!”
  3. “God does not love us because we are loveable. We are lovable because God loves us”.
  4. “God soon turns from his wrath, but he never turns from his love”. – Spurgeon
  5. From God's other known attributes we may learn much about his love. We can know, for instance, that because God is self-existent, his love had no beginning; because he is eternal, his love can have no end; because he is infinite, it has no limit; because he is holy, it is the quintessence of all spotless purity; because he is immense, his love is an incomprehensibly vast, bottomless, shoreless sea before which we kneel in joyful silence and from which the loftiest eloquence retreats confused and abashed. - Tozer
  6. “In the very beginning, this great universe laid in the mind of God, like an unborn forests in the acorn-cup…” - Spurgeon
THE PRISONER BAILED OUT & BANQUETING! (31-34)
1. It seems we’ve been building up to “disaster”, but the very last thing mentioned in this book is on a positive note.
2. Oh, God’s Precious & Gracious Hand!
  1. The closing statement looks beyond the captivity to the restoration!
  2. Q: Can you look beyond your captivity(servitude, confinement) to the restoration God has for you?
3. Vs.31-34 – Listen to the steps Jehoiachin was graciously shown!
  1. Lifted up his head! {Prisons were usually under ground, like the butler in Gen.40}
    1. Job 22:26 “For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.” (Eliphaz)
  2. Brought him out of prison!
    1. Ps. 142:7 “Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name;”
  3. Spoke kindly to him!
    1. Ps.119:103 “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
  4. Gave him a more prominent seat!
    1. Ps.113:7,8 “He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes; With the princes of His people.”
  5. Prison garments were changed!
    1. Zech.3:3,4 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."
  6. Ate bread continually w/the king all the days of his life!
    1. Sounds like Mephibosheth!
    2. Rev.19:9 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'
  7. His provisions were supplied daily!
    1. Phil 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
4. Jeremiah died an old man probably in Egypt.
5. In Jeremiah we’ve learned some imp. lessons that apply to all of us.
  1. [1] In difficult days Hear & Heed the word of God!
  2. [2] True prophets of God are usually persecuted.
    1. Don’t be a “popular preacher” who has no enemies & pleases everybody.
  3. [3] True patriotism isn’t blind to sin.
    1. Imagine Jeremiah being called a traitor to his people.
  4. [4] God’s servants occasionally have doubts & failings!
    1. Jeremiah was weak before God & bold before men!
    2. Jeremiah was a prophet of the heart. - His goal was to penetrate the inner person & see the heart changed.
    3. Any servant of God who seeks to do this is a candidate for sorrow & may sense failure.
    4. Doubts - Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can't believe; unbelief is won't believe. Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness.
    5. Failure - It's not the giants who defeat us, but the mosquitoes!
      1. Saul's soldiers thought Goliath was too big to kill. David thought he was too big to miss!
  5. [5] The important thing isn’t success; it’s faithfulness.
    1. “Faithfulness in little things is a big thing.” - John Chrysostom
    2. “It is better to be faithful than famous.” -- Theodore Roosevelt
  6. [6] The greatest reward of ministry is to become like Jesus.
    1. When Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"…they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
    2. Wow! What a compliment it would be for people to mistake Jesus for you!
    3. Listen to the similarities between Jesus & Jeremiah. Their approaches to teaching & preaching using “action sermons” & a great deal of imagery from everyday life & from nature. – Both spoke out against the commercial “surface” religion practiced in the temple. – Both were accused of being traitors to their people, & both suffered physically, even being arrested, beaten, & confined. - Both wept over Jerusalem. – Both were rejected by their relatives. – Both knew what it was like to be misunderstood, lonely, & rejected. - Both emphasized the need for faith in the heart, & both rejected the mere “furniture” of religion that was external & impotent!” (www)
  7. [7] God is king & all the nations are under his sovereign control!
    1. It is not enough for a nation to put “In God we Trust” on its currency, to mention God in its pledge to the flag, or to “tip the hat to God” by quoting the bible in political campaign speeches. (www)
    2. It’s Righteousness not Religion that exalts a nation!
    3. Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
6. Q: What was your favorite verse, story, or thing you learned in this book?

return to 'Top of Page'

Verses 1-34

Intro:
1. 41 Messages!
  1. Thanks for your patience & endurance. Speaking of my teaching not God’s word!
  2. My apologies last week went over trying to complete Babylon’s judgment.
2. Q: What was your favorite verse, story, or thing you learned in this book? (I’ll give you a chance to share that at the end).
3. In ch.52 we have the Fall of Jerusalem in review.
  1. The last thing mentioned in ch.51 ended Jeremiah’s words. Jeremiah’s editor might have added this last chapter (not in any way saying it’s not inspired!) It basically almost word for word 1 Kings 24:18-25:30.
  2. This book ends with now looking over our shoulder & taking 4 snap shots of what’s gone on.
4. Outline: The City Besieged & Burned; The Temple Burned & Burglarized; The People Brought to Babylon; The Prisoner Bailed out & Banqueting.
THE CITY BESIEGED & BROKEN! (1-11)
1. Zedekiah was a “double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
  1. “He found himself between the hammer of Babylon & the anvil of his people.” Kidner
  2. He 1^st broke faith with God(2); then with his overlord(3b).
2. Lessons from this siege!
  1. [1] God WILL perform his threats!
    1. Q: Is there an area of your life in which you’ve been pushing His patience?
  2. [2] Delay of judgment is NO reason for expecting it to be permanently withheld.
    1. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t care, nor that sin hasn’t consequences.
    2. He will settle All accounts justly!
    3. Q: Would a speedier judgment cause us to be more Holy?
    4. Yes! See Eccl. 8:11
    5. Then look at Solomons last word - Eccl.12:14!
  3. [3] Don’t believe in good luck charms!
    1. They trusted in their City & their Temple.
    2. Saul’s army trusted in “the magical ark.”
    3. We can’t be careless & confident in “things!”
    4. Q: What are you leaning on or trusting in? What specific changes do you need to make to rid yourself of that ‘good luck charm”.
  4. [4] The favor of God is no protection against the punishment of sin.
    1. God, as a good parent, “spares not the rod” on his children. Knowing that “no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
    2. They saw themselves as divine favorites! They thought they were bullet proof!
    3. Q: Do you see yourself this way? (maybe cause the numbers of years you’ve known the Lord?) Don’t let comfort lead too careless!
THE TEMPLE BURNED & BURGLARIZED! (12-23)
1. Vs.23 - So the world will rob us, of spiritual power & wealth if we let it get the upper hand.
  1. G.H. Charnley, in The Skylark's Bargain, tells the story of a young skylark who discovered one day a man who would give him worms for a feather. He made a deal -- one feather for two worms.The next day the lark was flying high in the sky with his father. The older bird said, "You know, son, we skylarks should be the happiest of all birds. See our brave wings! They lift us high in the air, nearer and nearer to God." But the young bird did not hear, for all he saw was an old man with worms. Down he flew, plucked two feathers from his wings and had a feast. Day after day this went on.Autumn came and it was time to fly south. But the young skylark couldn't do it. He had exchanged the power of his young wings for worms. That is our constant temptation in life -- to exchange wings for worms.
  2. Q: Has your temple(your body) been burnt or burglarized? Have you been plucking feathers & trading them for worms?
    1. {a fat dumpy naked bird, is easy prey for the enemy!}
THE PEOPLE BROUGHT TO BABYLON! (24-30)
1. Vs.30 – The repetition of this narrative shows how deeply God loves His people, even when their conduct proves them to be wholly unworthy of being loved.
  1. God could have done the Sodom & Gomorrah thing to them!
  2. “It is impossible to exhaust the Love that fills God’s heart!”
  3. “God does not love us because we are loveable. We are lovable because God loves us”.
  4. “God soon turns from his wrath, but he never turns from his love”. – Spurgeon
  5. From God's other known attributes we may learn much about his love. We can know, for instance, that because God is self-existent, his love had no beginning; because he is eternal, his love can have no end; because he is infinite, it has no limit; because he is holy, it is the quintessence of all spotless purity; because he is immense, his love is an incomprehensibly vast, bottomless, shoreless sea before which we kneel in joyful silence and from which the loftiest eloquence retreats confused and abashed. - Tozer
  6. “In the very beginning, this great universe laid in the mind of God, like an unborn forests in the acorn-cup…” - Spurgeon
THE PRISONER BAILED OUT & BANQUETING! (31-34)
1. It seems we’ve been building up to “disaster”, but the very last thing mentioned in this book is on a positive note.
2. Oh, God’s Precious & Gracious Hand!
  1. The closing statement looks beyond the captivity to the restoration!
  2. Q: Can you look beyond your captivity(servitude, confinement) to the restoration God has for you?
3. Vs.31-34 – Listen to the steps Jehoiachin was graciously shown!
  1. Lifted up his head! {Prisons were usually under ground, like the butler in Gen.40}
    1. Job 22:26 “For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God.” (Eliphaz)
  2. Brought him out of prison!
    1. Ps. 142:7 “Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name;”
  3. Spoke kindly to him!
    1. Ps.119:103 “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
  4. Gave him a more prominent seat!
    1. Ps.113:7,8 “He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes; With the princes of His people.”
  5. Prison garments were changed!
    1. Zech.3:3,4 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."
  6. Ate bread continually w/the king all the days of his life!
    1. Sounds like Mephibosheth!
    2. Rev.19:9 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'
  7. His provisions were supplied daily!
    1. Phil 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
4. Jeremiah died an old man probably in Egypt.
5. In Jeremiah we’ve learned some imp. lessons that apply to all of us.
  1. [1] In difficult days Hear & Heed the word of God!
  2. [2] True prophets of God are usually persecuted.
    1. Don’t be a “popular preacher” who has no enemies & pleases everybody.
  3. [3] True patriotism isn’t blind to sin.
    1. Imagine Jeremiah being called a traitor to his people.
  4. [4] God’s servants occasionally have doubts & failings!
    1. Jeremiah was weak before God & bold before men!
    2. Jeremiah was a prophet of the heart. - His goal was to penetrate the inner person & see the heart changed.
    3. Any servant of God who seeks to do this is a candidate for sorrow & may sense failure.
    4. Doubts - Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can't believe; unbelief is won't believe. Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness.
    5. Failure - It's not the giants who defeat us, but the mosquitoes!
      1. Saul's soldiers thought Goliath was too big to kill. David thought he was too big to miss!
  5. [5] The important thing isn’t success; it’s faithfulness.
    1. “Faithfulness in little things is a big thing.” - John Chrysostom
    2. “It is better to be faithful than famous.” -- Theodore Roosevelt
  6. [6] The greatest reward of ministry is to become like Jesus.
    1. When Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"…they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
    2. Wow! What a compliment it would be for people to mistake Jesus for you!
    3. Listen to the similarities between Jesus & Jeremiah. Their approaches to teaching & preaching using “action sermons” & a great deal of imagery from everyday life & from nature. – Both spoke out against the commercial “surface” religion practiced in the temple. – Both were accused of being traitors to their people, & both suffered physically, even being arrested, beaten, & confined. - Both wept over Jerusalem. – Both were rejected by their relatives. – Both knew what it was like to be misunderstood, lonely, & rejected. - Both emphasized the need for faith in the heart, & both rejected the mere “furniture” of religion that was external & impotent!” (www)
  7. [7] God is king & all the nations are under his sovereign control!
    1. It is not enough for a nation to put “In God we Trust” on its currency, to mention God in its pledge to the flag, or to “tip the hat to God” by quoting the bible in political campaign speeches. (www)
    2. It’s Righteousness not Religion that exalts a nation!
    3. Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
6. Q: What was your favorite verse, story, or thing you learned in this book?

return to 'Top of Page'

JeremiahJer 51 JeremiahJer LamentationsLam 1

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Jeremiah 52". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/jeremiah-52.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesJeremiah 52

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-34

Verses 1-34

Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 52