Sound of coming Judgment
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever ignored warning signs? How about a warning from someone, later to regret it? What made the warning hard to listen to? (personal story, it hindered me from doing something I wanted to do).
After 23-years of warning Judah, the people still refuse to listen. This chapter announces the 70-year exile, describes the judgment on Judah, and then widens the scope to the judgment on the surrounding nations too, symbolized by the cup of God’s wrath.
Big Idea: God’s patience does have limits: When His word is persistently ignored (come on now, 23 years) His righteous judgment follows —on His people and on all nations.
This is a longer chapter, 38 verses so we will break it down in workable sections.
Heed the Heavens
Heed the Heavens
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4 “And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear,
5 saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the Lord has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; 6 and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’
7 “Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the Lord, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
Jeremiah has been unwavering in delivering God’s message despite the peoples refusal to listen. This passage invites us to consider our own responses to God’s call for repentances and transformation stressing the importance of aligning our lives with God’s will before it is too late.
In our culture today the message of repentance is not well received, truth is relative, and places where truth is preached the numbers oftentimes are low. We need to be true to God’s word even if it is hard and not well received.
Jeremiah’s 23-year ministry rejected (vv.1-3)
God sent many prophets, but still no response (vv.4-6)
The prophesy is dated to Jehoiakim’s fourth year; Jeremiah recounts 23 years of speaking God’s word without response from the people.
The central problem: stubborn refusal (v.7)
“You have not listened to Me,” declares the Lord.
Key theme: God is patient— but His patience is purposeful, not limitless.
Application: Take God’s word seriously; Evaluate areas where you may be resisting God’s voice (habits, attitudes, spiritual neglect).
Holiness heralded
Holiness heralded
God’s righteous judgment is certain. He has warned that judgment was coming from the North, and said it was Nebuchadnezzar His servant that was coming. This reminds us that God’s plans are just, yet mercy-filled, urging us to trust His sovereignty and turn back to him before enduring disciplinary measures.
8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
10 ‘Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 ‘This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 ‘I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
14 ‘(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’ ”
Judgment through Nebuchadnezzar (vv.8-9)
God calls Nebuchadnezzar His servant
Judah and surrounding nations will become desolate
Silence replaces Joy (v.10)
“Sound of Joy and gladness . . . the millstones. . . the lamp” will cease
The 70-year exile, Babylonian domination announced (v.11)
Clear, fixed period of discipline
Babylon will later be judged (vv.12-14)
God’s justice is impartial
Babylon becomes the next target of wrath.
Key theme: God uses nations as instruments, but they are still accountable to Him.
Application: Trust God’s sovereignty Even in Judgment. In times of uncertainty, remember God’s plan is larger than the moment—we can trust His timing and purpose
Honor the Warning
Honor the Warning
15 For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 “They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17 Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people; 20 and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod);
21 Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon; 22 and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea;
23 and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24 and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert;
25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.” ’ 28 “And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “You shall surely drink!
29 “For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares the Lord of hosts.’
God’s cup of wrath is a symbol of the consequences of persistent sin that is not properly dealt with. God is just and sin must be dealt with. Yet there is a slight picture of future hope for Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath on our behalf and the mercy and grace He gives us.
Jeremiah given the cup of God’s fury (Jer25:15-16)
This is a symbol of God’s divine justice
Nations stagger as if drunk — overwhelmed by God’s judgment.
List of nations who must drink (Jer25:17-26)
Starts with Jerusalem
Includes surrounding nations and expands outward.
Ends with “all the kingdoms of the world.”
Judgment begins with God’s own house (Jer25:27-29)
If God judges His people, He certainly will judge all nations.
Key theme: God’s justice is universal; no nations is exempt.
Application: Recognize God’s Universal Justice. Pray for your nation and community; righteousness matters in public life.
Heald the Hope
Heald the Hope
God’s judgment as described in these verses is universal, it is a call to repentance for all, through Christ, These affirm God’s control over all nations, suggesting the importance of world evangelism and intercession, with urgency and hope which are both inherent in the gospel message.
God roars from heaven (Jer25:30-31)
A cosmic scene of judgment
God’s controversy is with the nations.
The slain lie across the earth (Jer25:32-33)
No escape, no burial — total devastation
Leaders/ “Shepherds” will be, are to be held accountable (Jer25:34-38)
Shepherds (Kings, leaders, Priests) will wail.
God’s fierce anger devastates the land
Key theme: Leaders bear responsibility for their people’s direction; God will hold them accountable.
Application: Leaders are accountable. Examine areas of leadership in your life. Are you pointing others toward God or away from Him?
Conclusion
Conclusion
This chapter brings together patience, justice, sovereignty and holiness. After years of warnings, Judah’s refusal leads to discipline , yet even the instruments of judgment (Babylon) will face God’s justice. God’s character is consistent. He judges sin, calls for repentance, and rules over history.
Major takeaway: God’s patience calls us to repentance; His justice calls us to obedience; His sovereignty calls us to trust.
