Jeremiah, chapter 20
interpretation - meaning - commentary - explanation
Chapter 20 can be divided into two parts:
Jeremiah's imprisonment
(1) Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. (2) Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. (3) And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. (4) For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
(5) Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. (6) And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
Verse one refers to the words recorded in chapter 19.14-15 "Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD's house; and said to all the people, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words." Jeremiah was a prophet of God and spoke words that hurt the Judeans, just as it sometimes hurts us when someone says something unpleasant but true about us. A wise person will listen and accept a remark about his flaw, while a foolish person will take offense and harden even more. The Israelites were the foolish ones then. Jeremiah repeatedly prayed for the rescue of the fallen nation, devoted his life to preaching the word of God, and instead of kindness on their part, he was notoriously met with humiliation and even, as we read, flogging and re-imprisonment, as mentioned, for example, in Chapter 37.
In verses 4 through 6 we read prophetic words regarding what will happen to Pashur and the people of Jerusalem. It may seem to us that these words are too harsh and do not match God's words. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Judeans had plenty of time to change their behavior, God even foretold what would happen to them if they didn't change. Did it help? Looking at the fact that Jerusalem fell and Babylon abducted the inhabitants into captivity, it comes out that it did not. If you are warned that if you don't stop stealing and exploiting others, because in return you will be abducted into captivity, and continue to be disobedient, will the one who told you this be blamed, or yourself? So let's not blame God for not saving the oppressed Judeans from death, because he waited many years for their hearts to turn away from evil anyway.
Prophet Jeremiah's breakdown
(7) O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. (8) For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. (9) Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (10) For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. (11) But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. (12) But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. (13) Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. (14) Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. (15) Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. (16) And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; (17) Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. (18) Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
The so-called great and small prophets, such as Elijah and Isaiah, had moments of weakness. Jeremiah's situation was unenviable. Surrounded by a spoiled society that was only waiting for his downfall, he was notoriously ridiculed. How would you feel if you went to save people from falling, and they, instead of a word of thanks, ridiculed and spit on you. Jeremiah did not go to rescue people, he lived among them.
The prophet was so fed up with this that he thought about stopping preaching the word of God, life on earth would then become easier for him. However, his love for God was so great that he could not remain silent and kept speaking. He chose to dishonor himself in human eyes in favor of love for the Lord. For an explanation of the words "let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause" see a similar topic: Why curses and wishes for evil occur in the Bible, although spoken by David, the thought remains the same. Note, however, that Jeremiah leaves vengeance to the Lord, not to himself. After uttering these words and breaking down momentarily, Jeremiah continued to admonish the people and spoke for the Creator.
Jeremiah was so tired that he would rather not have been born
Jeremiah's discouragement about life was so great that he would have preferred not to have been born, thereby not knowing God. Life on earth is nothing compared to the infinity that Isaiah wrote about in one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible, namely chapter 65:17-25, and which Jeremiah undoubtedly knew. Satan cruelly works through people, and those people can make life so miserable that even the greatest prophets would prefer never to exist. We believe that Jeremiah's words were written under the influence of weakness, and at another time he would have chosen life. However, they were placed in the Bible for all those who go through hard times in life and see no hope for the future. The realization that even people who were so close to the loving Lord have succumbed to depression can be an encouragement to them, a spark that will reignite their hearts for life.
The Bible does not hide the descriptions that are unpopular for it, and presents events that will not gain its followers for this reason. Most will say: why believe in God, when even people who were so close to Him suffered and preferred to die, after all, it is better to live as one wishes. A wise Christian will understand that God does not hide the difficulties we encounter on our way, even if they cause doubt in our hearts. If we ask God for help, He is constantly by our side, although He doesn't always help as we would like, which raises doubts about whether He is really helping us. Trust the Creator, who knows the future and knows when to intervene, He knows what will happen, what today may seem to you as silence in the future you may consider a good decision. After death, everything will be explained to you anyway.
Below is the quote mentioned, from
Book of Isaiah 65.17-25 "(17) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (18) But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (19) And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (20) There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (21) And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. (22) They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (23) They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. (24) And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (25) The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."
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