Jeremiah 14
Jeremiah 14 portrays a time of severe drought in Judah, symbolizing God’s judgment on His people due to their ongoing disobedience and idolatry. Despite their suffering, the people refuse to repent, and God expresses His sorrow over their stubbornness. False prophets mislead the people with promises of peace, yet God denounces them and declares that judgment is imminent. Jeremiah, seeing the people's plight, intercedes on their behalf, yet God remains firm, indicating that their unfaithfulness cannot be overlooked.
Jeremiah 14:1-10 (NKJV)
1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts.
2 “Judah mourns, and her gates languish; They mourn for the land, And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
3 Their nobles have sent their lads for water; They went to the cisterns and found no water. They returned with their vessels empty; They were ashamed and confounded And covered their heads.
4 Because the ground is parched, For there was no rain in the land, The plowmen were ashamed; They covered their heads.
5 Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field, But left because there was no grass.
6 And the wild donkeys stood in the desolate heights; They sniffed at the wind like jackals; Their eyes failed because there was no grass.”
7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name’s sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You.
8 O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble, Why should You be like a stranger in the land, And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why should You be like a man astonished, Like a mighty one who cannot save? Yet You, O Lord, are in our midst, And we are called by Your name; Do not leave us!
10 Thus says the Lord to this people: “Thus they have loved to wander; They have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, And punish their sins.”
The drought described here signifies God's judgment, affecting every social level in Judah, from nobles to field laborers, and even wildlife suffers. Jeremiah records the land's devastation: nobles send servants for water, but the cisterns are dry, leaving everyone ashamed. With parched earth, fields fail to produce, impacting animals and humans alike. In verse 7, Jeremiah acknowledges the people’s sin and implores God to act for His name’s sake, recognizing their iniquities. Despite their pleas, God responds in verse 10, condemning their consistent rebellion. Their wandering hearts prevent God’s forgiveness, as their sins are too persistent to overlook.
Jeremiah 14:11-16 (NKJV)
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good.
12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
13 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’”
14 And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’”
God instructs Jeremiah not to intercede for Judah, as He will no longer respond to their rituals of fasting or sacrifices. God reveals the futility of their worship due to their insincerity and sin. False prophets, in verse 13, give the people false hope, promising peace and safety instead of repentance and truth. God condemns these prophets in verses 14-16, emphasizing they are not His messengers. Their punishment matches their deception: they will suffer from the very disasters they denied, leaving the people and their families devastated, with no one to mourn or bury them due to the severity of God’s judgment.
Jeremiah 14:17-22 (NKJV)
17 “Therefore you shall say this word to them: ‘Let my eyes flow with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people Has been broken with a mighty stroke, with a very severe blow.
18 If I go out to the field, then behold, those slain with the sword! And if I enter the city, then behold, those sick from famine! Yes, both prophet and priest go about in a land they do not know.’”
19 Have You utterly rejected Judah? Has Your soul loathed Zion? Why have You stricken us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but there was no good; And for the time of healing, and there was trouble.
20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers, For we have sinned against You.
21 Do not abhor us, for Your name’s sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory. Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait for You, Since You have made all these.
In response to Judah's plight, God commands Jeremiah to mourn deeply for his people, representing the depth of Judah’s suffering from violence and famine. Jeremiah's description conveys a somber image of death in fields and famine within the city, even affecting religious leaders who are left without direction or knowledge. In verses 19-22, Jeremiah pleads for God’s mercy, admitting Judah’s sins and invoking God’s covenant. He contrasts the true God with powerless idols, recognizing that only God can bring relief. Jeremiah’s plea ends with a note of hope, expressing reliance on God’s unique ability to restore His people, yet with an awareness of the weight of their sins.