Jeremiah 4:19-22

B. Description of Coming Judgment Jeremiah 4:19-31

In the last half of chapter four Jeremiah describes the coming judgment. He emphasizes that this judgment will be (1) terrifying (Jeremiah 4:19-22); (2) devastating (Jeremiah 4:23-26); and (3) inevitable (Jeremiah 4:27-31).

1. Terrifying judgment (Jeremiah 4:19-22)

TRANSLATION

(19) O my bowels, my bowels! I writhe! O walls of my heart! My heart roars within me! I cannot remain silent! for the sound of the trumpet you have heard, O my soul, the battle cry! (20) Destruction upon destruction is called for; the whole land is spoiled; suddenly they have spoiled my tents, in a moment my curtains. (21) How long shall I see a standard, hear the noise of a trumpet? (22) For My people are foolish, they know not Me; they are stupid sons! they are senseless ones. They are wise to do evil but they do not know how to do good.

COMMENTS

Let no one think that Jeremiah enjoyed preaching his message of judgment. He was no sadist who took delight in the suffering of others. As he contemplates the imminent destruction of his people he is emotionally shaken. His heart pounds; his bowels, considered by the ancients to be the seat of emotion, are in agony. He cannot remain silent. He must give vent. to his intense feelings (Jeremiah 4:19). When he hears the war trumpet, the battle cry and sees in his mind's eye wave after wave of destruction sweeping across his land he is completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, in a moment it seems, the land and all its tents and curtains fall into the hands of the enemy (Jeremiah 4:20). Of course the people of Judah had long since given up the tents and curtains of their nomadic age for more permanent dwellings. Here Jeremiah is using tents and curtains as a metaphor for the habitations of the citizens of Jerusalem.[158]

[158] Jeremiah 30:18; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 8:66; 1 Kings 12:16; Psalms 132:3.

In Jeremiah 4:21 the agony of the prophet reaches a climax as he cries out, How long shall I see a standard, hear the noise of a trumpet? The prophet seems to be rebelling against the visions of divine judgment which he has so frequently seen. The trumpet and standard here may be those of the enemy who attack Jerusalem or those of the Judeans who are defending their capital. Jeremiah seems to have hoped for some breakthrough in divine revelation, some note of hope. Yet all he has received thus far in his ministry are revelations of death and destruction. He asks the question, How long? He really means Why? God answers that question in Jeremiah 4:23 by giving a three-fold justification for the impending destruction of the nation. (1) The Judeans are foolish and no longer truly know God in their hearts. (2) When it comes to spiritual things, God's people are stupid and senseless sons. (3) These people are brilliant in planning further evil but do not know the first thing about how to do what is right. Jeremiah wanted to know how long he would continue to receive revelations of destruction. The implication of Jeremiah 4:22 is that these revelations will continue so long as the people continue to be foolish and disobedient.