Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Jeremiah 1:13-19
The Sign Of The Boiling Cauldron (Jeremiah 1:13).
The second sign was that of a cauldron full of boiling liquid ready to be poured out on Judah from the north, a vivid picture of threatening judgment.
‘And the word of YHWH came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling cauldron, and its face is from the north.”
The second sign was a boiling cauldron ‘blown on', thus heated by a fierce fire, with its ‘face' (its opening) opening out from the north, full of scalding liquid to be poured out on Judah, a clear picture of coming judgment.
‘Then YHWH said to me, “Out of the north evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.”
For out of the north YHWH planned that ‘evil' would break forth on the inhabitants of the land. This would be in the form either of the Scythians or the Babylonians, or both (they were turbulent times). At around this time, according to Heroditus, swarms of Scythians, a fierce warrior people, were flooding the lands north of the Euphrates, coming from the area around the Black Sea, and many believe that they actually reached Judah. Unfortunately they left few historical records so that we are unable to confirm this. Others interpret the words in terms of the Babylonians and their allies. On the other hand we do know that at times Scythians and Babylonians were in alliance together, so that both could easily be in mind.
“For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says YHWH, “and they will come, and they will set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.”
But what is certain is that what was promised was that an alliance of nations from the north (all the families of the kingdoms of the north) would come up against Judah. And each king of those nations would set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and over against its walls all round the city, and against all the cities of Judah. In other words they would be there for siege and conquest, and in order to take jurisdiction over those cities, and would remain until they had succeeded. And every city of Judah would be their target.
“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
This was because YHWH's own words of judgment would come against the people of Judah with regard to all their wickedness, and it would be because they had forsaken Him, burning incense to other gods, and worshipping idols which were of their own workmanship, made with their own hands. Note the emphasis on MY judgments. They would proceed from His active word. The worship of Baal and Asherah (Baal's wife), with its depraved ritual, was taking place in the many high places in the land, and it was offensive to YHWH. It was taking place even in the days of the godly Josiah, although no doubt discreetly in the mountain sanctuaries. We will also learn later of the worship of the Queen of Heaven, the favourite goddess under different names of the nations (Ishtar = Ashteroth). The burning of incense on incense altars was a regular method of offering worship to false gods.
Note the threefold indictment:
1. ‘They have forsaken Me.' Compare Deuteronomy 28:20; Deuteronomy 29:25; Deuteronomy 31:16 etc. They no longer gave Him full loyalty as their Redeemer in spite of all their formal ritual (Exodus 20:2).
2. ‘They have burned incense to other gods'. Hosea 2:13; Hosea 4:13; Hosea 11:2; see also Isaiah 65:3; Isaiah 65:7. For the worship of other gods compare Deuteronomy 29:26; Deuteronomy 31:16 etc. But for the first reference to burning incense to other gods outside the prophets see 1 Kings 3:3; 1 Kings 11:8 and regularly in 2 Kings. Even in YHWH's very land, therefore, they were worshipping other gods, contrary to Exodus 20:3.
3. ‘They have worshipped the work of their own hands.' Compare Isaiah 2:8. They worship what they themselves have made. This is ever the tendency of humanity for thereby they keep it under their control. It is of course contrary to Exodus 20:4.
“You therefore gird up your loins (tuck your robe in your belt), and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be not shattered by them, lest I shatter you before them.”
Now, however, YHWH intended to do something about it, and He was calling on Jeremiah to tuck in his robes so that he would have the free movement to go out and speak to the people all that YHWH commanded him. He was effectively telling him to roll his sleeves up. He furthermore warned him that he was not to shy away from them in case YHWH then shied away from him with his being as a consequence made to look a fool and filled with shame and dismay. The verb is strong signifying ‘shattering, breaking in pieces'. He was not to ‘go to pieces' in front of them. We need not ask what God was indicating that He would do to Jeremiah (perhaps shatter his reputation?) as He had no intention of it being necessary. It was simply an indication to Jeremiah of the urgency of the situation, and of his need to be steadfast. It is a reminder to us that once we are sure of what God wants us to do, we must not hesitate (although it is of course important that our certainty is really from God).
“For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.”
And the reason why he could be so bold was because YHWH had made him that very day, by calling him and touching his lips, into a fortress, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze as he set himself against the whole land of Judah, including its princes, its priests and the whole people. In other words He was making him impregnable as he faced up to them all (and he was going to need it). The descriptions are in terms of the strongest materials available at the time. For the iron pillar compare the bronze pillars of Solomon (1 Kings 7:15). Iron would be seen as even stronger. The purpose of cladding stone walls with bronze was in order to indicate strength. It also made them less vulnerable.
YHWH put Jeremiah in no doubt about what he was to face. It would be those in highest authority, those with most religious authority, and those with the greatest influence (‘the people of the land' in this case probably indicates the influential landowners. We might say ‘the educated classes'). few would be on his side.
“And they will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” says YHWH, “to deliver you.”
However, having been warned that he would not have an easy time with the princes, priests and influential people all fighting against him, nevertheless he was to be assured that they would not prevail against him. And this would be because YHWH would be with him to deliver him.