JEREMIAH LESSON 16


     We will begin this lesson with Jeremiah 15:1 "Then said the LORD
unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my mind
[could] not [be] toward this people: cast [them] out of my sight, and
let them go forth."

     Moses and Samuel were mighty men of God. God tells Jeremiah, that
even if they prayed for this people, He would say no. God has made His
decision about the outcome of these people, and all the prayers in the
world will not change God's plans. It is wonderful to have someone to
intercede in your behalf, but there are some things that are set, and
God will not altar them for anyone.  God is through with them, for the
present. They have angered God beyond the point of His changing His
mind. He had told Jeremiah, in the last chapter, not to pray for these
people anymore. Jeremiah is treading on dangerous ground himself,
disobeying God's command to him.

     Jeremiah 15:2 "And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee,
Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the
LORD; Such as [are] for death, to death; and such as [are] for the
sword, to the sword; and such as [are] for the famine, to the famine;
and such as [are] for the captivity, to the captivity."

     God is explaining to Jeremiah that the punishment for each of
them is already set. Some of them will die, some will feel the sword,
some will starve in the famine, the rest will go into captivity. It is
set. There is no way to change it.

     Jeremiah 15:3 "And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the
LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the
heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy."

     The sword will slay them, but they will not be buried. The dogs
will get their bodies, and drag them down the street. vultures will
eat the flesh off their bones.  The beasts of the earth will get what
the vultures do not.

     Jeremiah 15:4 "And I will cause them to be removed into all
kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of
Judah, for [that] which he did in Jerusalem."

     We remember Manasseh was an evil king, who caused the worship of
many false gods. He even put up statues of them. This same type of
thing is found in the following Scriptures. Deuteronomy 28:24 "The
LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven
shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed."  Deuteronomy
28:25 "The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies:
thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before
them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth."
Deuteronomy 28:26 "And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the
air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray [them]
away."  Notice, this is not Satan. This is judgement from God for
worshipping false gods.

     Jeremiah 15:5 "For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or
who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?"

     When God turns against them, there is no one left to care what
happens to them.

     Jeremiah 15:6 "Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art
gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and
destroy thee; I am weary with repenting."

     God had heard their cry for help so many times, and every time
they repented, He had taken them back, and blessed them, instead of
punishing them. This time will be different. They have gone too far.
God will allow the punishment to happen.

     Jeremiah 15:7 "And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the
land; I will bereave [them] of children, I will destroy my people,
[since] they return not from their ways."

     Bereave, in the Scripture above, means miscarry or abortion. This
just means that a woman with a child will miscarry that child because
of the terrible hardships of war. When you fan a fire, you make it
hotter. God causes this to become worse, because of their sin.

     Jeremiah 15:8 "Their widows are increased to me above the sand of
the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men
a spoiler at noonday: I have caused [him] to fall upon it suddenly,
and terrors upon the city."

     This is just speaking of the vast numbers of young men who die in
the war. The destruction from this war is sudden, and leaves very
little behind.

     Jeremiah 15:9 "She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath
given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while [it was] yet day: she
hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I
deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD."

     "Languisheth" means droop, or be sick. It appears this sickness
is to the death. It appears she died while she was still in her child
bearing years.

     Jeremiah 15:10  "Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a
man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have
neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; [yet] every
one of them doth curse me."

     This is Jeremiah speaking of himself. Jeremiah had to bring the
bad news to the nation. All hated him. He is explaining that he never
charged them extreme interest on loans, nor did he pay extreme
interest. Their hate for him was without reason. They cursed him,
because they did not want to hear of the impending doom.
     Jeremiah 15:11 "The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy
remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee [well] in the
time of evil and in the time of affliction."

     Because Jeremiah had been obedient to God, God will spare him and
his family. God will protect Jeremiah. Look, with me, at the following
Scripture which explains it so well. Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways
please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."
Jeremiah will be treated well, even though the destruction is
terrible.  God will see to that.

     Jeremiah 15:12 "Shall iron break the northern iron and the
steel?"

     The word translated steel, here, is generally translated bronze.
"Iron" just means something of great strength. Iron against iron would
be an equal. The bronze speaks of judgement. The strength of Babylon
from the north, at this time, comes from God in judgement.

     Jeremiah 15:13 "Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to
the spoil without price, and [that] for all thy sins, even in all thy
borders."

     The spoil goes to the victor. In this case, it is Babylon. The
substance and treasures would wind up in Babylon. God allows this,
because of their sins of spiritual adultery.

     Jeremiah 15:14 "And I will make [thee] to pass with thine enemies
into a land [which] thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine
anger, [which] shall burn upon you."

     It is not certain whether this is speaking of Jeremiah, or the
Jews. We know that God's anger is not against Jeremiah, it is against
the people.

     Jeremiah 15:15  "O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me,
and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy
longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke."

     This is definitely Jeremiah, asking God to remember him and
revenge him of his persecutors. Jeremiah is reminding God that he
suffered rebuke to bring god's message to these people.

     Jeremiah 15:16 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy
word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called
by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

     This is speaking of the Word of God which God placed in
Jeremiah's mouth. Jeremiah accepted into his very being {ate them},
the Words of God. We know that Jeremiah was ordained of God from birth
to bring this message to the house of Judah and Benjamin. He was God's
agent on the earth to these people. He was called of God's name.
This is the same thing today as being a Christian. We are called of
the name of Christ. Jeremiah recognizes God for who He is, LORD God of
hosts.

     Jeremiah 15:17 "I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor
rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me
with indignation."

     Jeremiah did not fellowship with the people he was sent to warn.
He was not happy with them at all. God had caused him to be full of
Godly indignation at the things they were doing.

     Jeremiah 15:18 "Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable,
[which] refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a
liar, [and as] waters [that] fail?"

     We see that Jeremiah believed God would protect him from all
harm, and that included wounds and sickness. Jeremiah is extremely
bold in his questioning of why God allowed this to happen to him. He
is saying, "Can I believe you, or not"?

     Jeremiah 15:19  "Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return,
then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if
thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth:
let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them."

     Now, we see what the problem was. If you remember, Jeremiah tried
to intercede for them, even after God told him not to do that. God is
telling Jeremiah to separate himself from them. Do not chase after
them. Let them come to you. God is telling Jeremiah, if he will do
exactly as He says, He will allow him to be His mouth to these people.
Jeremiah must not run after these people, but they must change and
come to him. He is not to go to Babylon, but stay in Jerusalem.

     Jeremiah 15:20 "And I will make thee unto this people a fenced
brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not
prevail against thee: for I [am] with thee to save thee and to deliver
thee, saith the LORD."

     The "brasen wall" is speaking of the strong judgement that
Jeremiah will speak. They will not be able to harm him, because God
has built a hedge of protection around Jeremiah. They may want to
destroy Jeremiah, but they will not be able to do him harm. God is
Jeremiah's protection. Jeremiah heard the LORD promise him this.

     Jeremiah 15:21 "And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the
wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible."

     These wicked are, possibly, Jews who are trying to kill Jeremiah.
God is his protection. He will not be taken captive, for long. God is
his salvation.





                         Jeremiah 16 Questions


1.  God said, in verse 1, He would not answer the prayer even if
    _______ and ________ asked.
2.  Why will God not let Jeremiah intercede for them?
3.  What 4 different things shall happen to these people?
4.  What 4 things happened to them in death?
5.  Why would God cause them to be removed to kingdoms other than
    their own?
6.  Quote Deuteronomy chapter 28 verses 24 through 26.
7.  Who is left to bemoan Jerusalem?
8.  Verse 6 says, God was weary with __________.
9.  What does "bereave", in verse 7, mean?
10. Their widows are increased to me above the ______ of the ______.
11. What does "languisheth" mean?
12. Who is speaking in verse 10?
13. What does Jeremiah say, he has never done {in verse 10}?
14. Why will God spare Jeremiah?
15. Quote Proverbs chapter 16 verse 7.
16. What is the word usually translated, that was translated steel
    here?
17. What does "iron" mean?
18. Bronze speaks of _________.
19. The spoil goes to the _________.
20. What is Jeremiah asking God to do for him in verse 15?
21. Why had Jeremiah suffered rebuke?
22. What is meant by Jeremiah eating the Word of God?
23. When was Jeremiah called to bring God's message to this people?
24. Did Jeremiah fellowship with those he brought warning to?
25. What was Jeremiah questioning in verse 18?
26. What shall Jeremiah be as, if he returns?
27. God will make Jeremiah a _______ ________ to this people.
28. What is the "brazen wall" speaking of?
29. Who will deliver Jeremiah out of the hand of the wicked?