And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
An Egyptian army marched out, the Babylonian besiegers pulled back from Jerusalem, and King Zedekiah sent men to ask Jeremiah to pray. God answers in that moment of relief — and the question is whether better circumstances change what He has already said.
The siege lifted because of Egypt, and the city read the change as a sign in its favour.
To understand these chapters more fully, remember what had happened. The army besieging Jerusalem pulled back for a time, because an Egyptian army had come out against it. No doubt this gave the false prophets a chance to preach their false hope, and it deceived the people... They thought it was surely a good sign and expected a favourable message. The word of the LORD came to the prophet and swept away the false hope they had been feeding themselves.
Zedekiah asks for a word only because something has shifted outside the walls.
Jeremiah 37 gives us Zedekiah in the same state of disobedience. A show of religion is kept up, and, having a moment of relief which stirs up some hope, the king seeks an answer from the LORD through His prophet. But the favourable circumstances, which might make it look as though the wicked can escape judgment, do not alter the certainty of the word.
The message that follows this verse names Egypt's retreat before it happens, and closes the door on every calculation the court had made.
There was no faith in the policy of Zedekiah or his advisers. Egypt stepped in, and that moment of relief lifted them. At once they let themselves hope that Jeremiah was wrong in predicting Nebuchadnezzar's supremacy and the collapse of Judah. The word for the king who had sent to inquire was this: "Behold, Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. And the Chaldeans shall come again and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire." The help of man is worthless against the word of God. Pharaoh's army went home without striking a blow for Judah, and that only delayed the siege. The Chaldeans soon came up again and destroyed the city with fire.
Egypt was the help Judah leaned on, and there is a picture for what that leaning did to them.
Egypt gave no help to Israel and only wounded them badly, like a staff that breaks under the weight of the man leaning on it and pierces his hand. Whenever God's people turn to Egypt — the picture of the world — for help, and form ungodly alliances, they do it to their own hurt and shame.
Zedekiah's message asked for prayer. Commentators weigh the request against what he did with every answer he received.
Zedekiah has been rightly described as "weak, vacillating, and treacherous"... He was a hypocrite too. He pretended to want the prophet's prayers, saying, "Please pray for us to the LORD our God" (Jer. 37:3). At times he also pretended to have confidence in Jeremiah's prophecies — "Inquire of the LORD for us" (Jer. 21:2) — which, once delivered, he refused to heed or believe.
One man in the city acted on this word while the enemy was still gone.
Jeremiah was not to be lured away from the conclusions of faith by occasional fair and promising appearances. The Chaldean army had broken up their camp under the walls of Jerusalem because the Egyptian allies had arrived. This flattered the Jewish people into hopes. But Jeremiah left the city. He would still hold to the conclusions of faith — that God had doomed Jerusalem in righteous judgment.
Acting on the word cost him his freedom.
Jeremiah sought to use the opportunity to get away from the judgment coming on the rebellious city. But this only brought out the heart's hatred of God's testimony. The princes of the people accused him of favouring the enemy, because he announced that judgment would come on the people by the enemy's hand, and they put him in prison.
- Word over weather. The siege lifted, the mood lifted — and into that moment God's word came, unchanged. Favourable circumstances do not alter the certainty of what God has said.
- Word over Egypt. The army that came to help would turn around and go home. The help of man is worthless against the word of God. Egypt had already proved a broken reed that pierces the hand leaning on it.
- Word over false comfort. The relief gave false prophets their opening, and the people believed them. God's word swept that self-deception away.
- Word over religion. Zedekiah asked for prayer and pretended to trust the answer. Then he refused to heed it — religion on show, disobedience underneath.
- Word obeyed. Jeremiah acted on it. He left the city while the enemy was still gone, and it landed him in prison.
Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
Jeremiah 37 opens with a sudden turn in the war. An Egyptian army marches north, and the Babylonian army — the Chaldeans — lifts its siege of Jerusalem. Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah, hoping God will confirm the good news. The answer comes back that Egypt's army will go home again.
This looked like a straight fight between two empires. One writer looks at what was going on underneath.
On the surface it was a contest between the courts of Egypt and Chaldea. In truth it was the hand of God disciplining and humbling the house of David and Jerusalem for their rebellion against His name.
The pull-back was real, and for a moment it looked like rescue. One writer describes what caused it and how the city reacted.
At last a gleam of hope appeared. An Egyptian army under their King Hophra, the grandson of Necho, advanced through Phoenicia. It forced the Chaldeans to lift the siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:5-7). You can imagine the celebration and the reaction in Jerusalem. That is probably why Jeremiah, who still predicted disaster, was thrown into prison (Jer. 37:4). But the relief of Jerusalem was brief.
Can a change in the circumstances overturn what God has already said? That is what this verse settles.
The show of religion goes on. A moment of relief stirs up some hope, so the king asks the Lord for an answer through His prophet. The circumstances look favourable, and they might make it seem that the wicked can escape judgment. But they do not change the certainty of the word.
The people had a hope of their own. God's answer through Jeremiah left nothing of it.
They were deceiving themselves with a false hope. The word of the Lord swept it away as it came to the prophet (verses 7-10). There was no hope.
Egypt's army would go home without striking a blow for Judah. Egypt had failed those who leaned on it before.
The help of man is useless against the word of God. This was not the first time Egypt had proved to be a broken reed that pierces the hand of those who lean on it. Pharaoh's army went back without striking a blow for Judah. That only delayed the siege, and the Chaldeans soon came up again to destroy the city with fire.
Going down to Egypt was a habit, not a one-off mistake. One writer turns the point on the reader.
Egypt has been a staff that breaks under Israel — a staff of reed, which offered much but never kept its promises, and brought only ruin to all who trusted it. Going down to Egypt for help was the constant snare of the people of God. God had rescued them out of that land, and they had seen His judgment on it in their own rescue. Yet they could turn back to it again and again. Sadly, this is an inconsistency that not one of us who knows himself can be a stranger to! … The lesson is as plain as it is basic. It is the lesson, "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?"
Zedekiah had sent men to ask Jeremiah to pray. It sounds devout. One writer judges it by what the king did with the answers he got.
He was hypocritical also. He pretended to want the prophet's prayers, saying, "Please pray for us to the LORD our God" (Jer. 37:3). At times he also pretended to trust the prophecies of Jeremiah ("Inquire of the LORD for us," Jer. 21:2). When those prophecies came, he refused to listen to them or believe them. "He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD" (2 Chron. 36:12).
While the city celebrated, the prophet used the lull for a different purpose — and paid for it.
Jeremiah at least believed the word of the Lord. So when the city had relief for a short time, he tried to leave it for his own place in the land of Benjamin. This left him open to the damaging suspicion of his enemies.
- Unshaken. A turn of events in Judah's favour could not touch what God had already said. Better circumstances "do not alter the certainty of the word."
- Exposed. What the people called hope, God called self-deception. His message through Jeremiah swept it away.
- The reed. Egypt promised much and never delivered. Leaning on it only pierced the hand that leaned.
- Consulted only. Zedekiah asked for prayer and asked for prophecies, then refused to obey the answers.
- Acted on. Jeremiah believed the word and moved on it, and his enemies suspected him for it.
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
Jerusalem had just won a breathing space: Egypt's army marched out, and the Chaldeans — the Babylonians — lifted the siege. So why does God now say they will come back, take the city, and burn it?
The enemy pulled back. The pause gave time for what was in people to come out.
This was the time of patience that the Lord usually gives. Evil men have not yet declared themselves openly and fully. For a while appearances favour the false against the true, and this puts faith to a fuller test. So the prophet did not yet face open contempt and persecution, and the king was still asking for his prayers.
Why does a change in circumstances prove nothing? The same writer contrasts how unbelief reads the world with how faith reads it.
Unbelief always assumes that this world, before the Lord returns to reign, is where God displays His government. It reasons from present results as the measure of His ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, though His providence certainly controls everything. Faith knows that God's faithfulness and care never fail, and that only the future solves the riddle of the present.
The relief came through Egypt. One writer sets it in a longer story: Egypt had failed those who leaned on it before.
Human help is useless against the word of God. This was not the first time Egypt had proved a broken reed, piercing the hand of those who leaned on it. Pharaoh's army went home without striking a blow for Judah. That only delayed the Chaldeans' siege, and they soon came back to destroy the city with fire.
The habit runs deeper than one political blunder, and one writer turns it on the reader:
Going down to Egypt for help was the constant snare of God's people. Yet God had rescued them from that land, and in their own rescue they had seen His judgment on it. Yet again and again they could turn back to it. Sadly, it is an inconsistency that none of us who knows himself can claim to be free from! … So for Israel, God Himself must break this staff they leaned on. … The lesson is as plain as it is basic. It is the lesson, "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?"
Zedekiah asked God for a message only once things started to look hopeful. His hope rested on the moment, not on anything God had said.
Jeremiah 37 shows us Zedekiah in the same state of disobedience. A show of religion is kept up, and, having a moment of relief that stirs some hope, the king seeks an answer from the Lord through His prophet. But the favourable circumstances, which might make it look as though the wicked can escape judgment, do not alter the certainty of the word.
Inside Jerusalem the people were deceiving themselves, and they had help.
To understand these chapters more fully, remember one thing. The army besieging Jerusalem pulled back for a time, because an Egyptian army had come out against it. No doubt the false prophets seized this chance to preach their false hope, and so the people were deceived. … They thought it was surely a good sign and expected a favourable message. Then the word of the Lord came to the prophet and swept away the false hope they had been feeding themselves.
Jeremiah did not just announce that the enemy would return. He acted on it, and left the city while everyone else celebrated.
He was not to be lured away from the conclusions of faith by occasional fair and promising appearances. The Egyptian allies arrived, so the Chaldean army broke camp under the walls of Jerusalem. This flattered the Jewish people into hope. But Jeremiah left the city. He would still hold to the conclusions of faith — that God had doomed Jerusalem in righteous judgment.
- Pause — The lifted siege was a term of patience. For a while appearances favoured the false against the true, and that put faith to a fuller test.
- Prop — The relief came by leaning on Egypt, a broken reed that pierces the hand that leans on it. Human help is useless against the word of God.
- Pretence — The king kept up a show of religion and asked God for a word. But good circumstances do not alter the certainty of what God has said.
- Persuasion — False prophets supplied the hope the people wanted. God's word came to Jeremiah and swept that self-deception away.
- Proof — Jeremiah held the conclusions of faith while everyone else celebrated. The Chaldeans came back, just as he had said, and burned the city.
Thus saith Jehovah Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans are certainly gone away from us; for they are not gone.
Pharaoh's troops were on the move, so Nebuchadnezzar's Chaldean army pulled back from Jerusalem. The city breathed again. But God sent Jeremiah to say the retreat meant nothing. When circumstances suddenly look good, whose report do you believe?
Why did God let the siege lift at all? One commentator sees the timing as God's own, and sees what people do with such a moment.
It was the period of patience that the Lord usually gives. Evil men have not yet openly and fully declared themselves. Appearances favour the false against the true for a while, and in this way faith is put to a fuller test. […] Men would like to find God wrong and reduce His word to their own uncertainty. To do this, they greedily seize on the weakness of the people He uses, and on every shift in the changing circumstances of this world.
Zedekiah drew his own conclusion from the retreat.
Once more Zedekiah sent a delegation to the prophet (21:1), after Nebuchadnezzar had made him king. The occasion was the withdrawal of the Chaldean army (verse 5). They thought this was surely a good sign, and they expected a favourable message. The false hope they were deceiving themselves with was swept away by the word of Jehovah as it came to the prophet (verses 7-10).
"Do not deceive yourselves" names a specific hope: that the Chaldeans were gone for good. The policy behind that hope leaned on Egypt.
Now there was no faith in the policy of Zedekiah or his advisers. Egypt's intervention gave them a moment's relief, and it made them glad. At once they let themselves hope that Jeremiah was wrong when he said Nebuchadnezzar would come out on top and Judah would fall. […] Human help is useless against the word of God. This was not the first time Egypt had proved a broken reed, piercing the hand of those who leaned on it. Pharaoh's army returned without striking a blow for Judah. That only delayed the Chaldean siege. They soon came back to destroy the city with fire.
The lifted siege changed the view from the walls. It did not change one word of what God had said.
Jeremiah 37 shows us Zedekiah in the same state of disobedience. They keep up a show of religion. A moment of relief stirs some hope, and the king seeks an answer from the Lord through His prophet. The favourable circumstances might make it look as if the wicked can escape judgment. But they do not alter the certainty of the word.
Jeremiah did not just say the words. He acted on them while everyone else celebrated.
He refused to be lured away from the conclusions of faith by occasional attractive and promising appearances. The Egyptian allies had arrived, so the Chaldean army had broken camp under the walls of Jerusalem. This flattered the Jewish people into hopes. But Jeremiah left the city. He would still hold to the conclusions of faith — that Jerusalem was doomed by God in righteous judgment.
Why does God keep taking away the props people lean on? One writer finds the answer in how closely these warnings follow each other.
It is striking how these prophecies follow one another. This shows how urgent it was to God that His people should encourage themselves in no false hope. We can see how every blow against such hopes was meant to fasten their hope on God Himself. But how little will man listen to anything short of experience itself, hard teacher though it is admitted to be! How often we have to hear the word "Cease from man" confirmed and underlined by the event itself.
One writer turns Jeremiah's warning on the world of today, which boasts in its progress.
Circumstances never give faith its object. It is the word of God that does that; and we must not let circumstances and appearances draw the eye of faith off its object. […] The allied army had arrived, and the hostile army had broken up and gone away. At that moment Jeremiah said to the king of Judah, "Do not deceive yourselves." So faith says, in this hour, to the generation that is boasting in progress, "Do not deceive yourselves."
- Pause. God gave a period of patience. Appearances favoured the false against the true, and that tested faith more fully.
- Deception. They were not ignorant. They wanted Jeremiah to be wrong, and they expected a favourable message.
- Certainty. Good circumstances do not change God's word. The retreat only delayed the siege.
- Faith. Circumstances never give faith its object; the word of God does. Jeremiah proved it by leaving the city everyone else thought was safe.
- Purpose. God aimed every blow at a false hope to fasten their hope on Himself — "Cease from man."
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained [but] wounded men among them, [yet] should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.