Jeremiah’s Symbolic Yoke Jereimah 27:1–22

I. Warning to the Nations to Serve Nebuchadnezzar (27:1–11)

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck, 3 and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters: 5 ‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me. 6 And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. 7 So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. 8 And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the LORD, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 9 Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” 10 For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the LORD, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ” ’ ”

A. The Lord instructed Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act; He told Jeremiah to make a yoke.

The ox yoke was a wooden bar or bars fastened about the neck by leather thongs. It was placed on cattle or oxen for plowing or threshing. The plural “yokes” has been interpreted to mean Jeremiah wore more than one yoke on his neck to represent the various kings who should submit to Babylon.

The plural is better explained as a wooden bar over the neck and another under the neck joined by thongs. The purpose of the symbolic act was to show the nations how they could escape destruction: through unconditional surrender. Such an act may seem contrary to God’s will, i.e., submitting to the enemy, but God does not think as humans do. To find life in God during Jeremiah’s day was to give up home, country, and temple, which the people of Judah were not anxious to do. They believed that God could be found only in the temple (7:4) when God wanted to be found in their hearts.

B. The Lord announced that he was going to “hand all your countries” to Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord’s servant.

Submission to Babylon would be temporary. All nations would serve Nebuchadnezzar until time for Babylon’s punishment. The Lord had a warning for any nation or kingdom that would not submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke. That nation would be punished by sword, famine, and plague. It would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s “hand”

Judah was not the only nation plagued by false prophets. The Lord warned the other nations not to listen to their prophets or diviners. Diviners were people who read omens and claimed to communicate with higher powers through the reading of omens. Judah was warned not to listen to “interpreters of dreams”. They also were warned not to listen to “mediums”, a people whose function was uncertain. Sorcerers, those who practiced magic, were also assuring the people that they would not serve Babylon. Their reassuring lies only stiffened the people’s resistance against Jeremiah’s warnings. Their refusal to listen to Jeremiah would result in their removal from their land. They would perish in faraway places.

II. Warning to King Zedekiah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar (27:12–15)

12 I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; 15 for I have not sent them,” says the LORD, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

A. The same message that had been given to the nations was now given to Zedekiah.

Perhaps he was considering rebellion and needed to be warned that his course of action would lead to calamity for Judah.

He was admonished to bow his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him in order to live. Jeremiah warned him not to listen to the prophets who were advising him against submission to Babylon. That decision would only lead to death and exile.

B. Though this is addressed to Zedekiah, the entire nation was included in the appeal to him.

The Lord warned Zedekiah, as he had warned the rulers in 27:1–11, not to listen to the lies of the prophets because he had not sent them.

Because they believed the false prophets, the Lord declared that he would banish both Zedekiah and the prophets who were leading him astray.

III. Warning to the Priests and All the People (27:16–22)

16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they prophesy a lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? 18 But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.’19 “For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—21 yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem: 22 ‘They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,’ says the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’ ”

A. Now the warning was directed to the priests and the people.

The Lord told the priests and people not to listen to their prophets. Their only hope of survival was to repent and surrender to the king of Babylon. With undisguised irony, Jeremiah challenged the false prophets to pray to prevent the remaining furnishings from being carried away to Babylon.

Among the articles that remained in the city, which would be taken, were the bronze pillars that stood in front of the temple. The bronze Sea, where the priests washed their hands and feet before offering sacrifices, would be taken. The movable bronze stands that supported the ten basins where the sacrificial animals were washed would also be taken. All other furnishings not taken when Jehoiachin was carried into exile would also be taken away along with the nobles of the country. Because of the size of the pillars, the Sea, and movable stands, all made of bronze, the Babylonians broke them into smaller pieces before transporting them to Babylon.

B. The chapter closes on a note of hope for the future.

Even though the temple vessels would be taken to Babylon, a day would come when the Lord would return them and restore them to their rightful place in the temple.

Though the major emphasis of Jer 27 is on God’s threat of punishment if the people refused to submit to the Babylonian yoke, it also speaks of another facet of God’s nature. He is always ready to forgive and give an opportunity for a new beginning. The same God who pronounces judgment on sin also proclaims hope for those who will turn to him. God forgives and gives second chances.