Jeremiah 4

1 "If you will return, Israel, return to me," announces the Lord. "Put the statues of your gods out of my sight. I hate them. Stop going down the wrong path.

2 Take all of your oaths in my name. Say, 'You can be sure that the LORD is alive.' Let all of your promises be truthful, fair and honest. Then I will bless the nations. And they will take delight in me."

3 Here is what the LORD is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He says, "Your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed. So change your ways and produce good crops. Do not plant seeds among thorns.

4 People of Judah and Jerusalem, obey me. Do not let your hearts be stubborn. If you do, my anger will blaze out against you. It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. No one will be able to put it out.

Trouble Will Come From the North

5 "Announce my message in Judah. Tell it in Jerusalem. Say, 'Blow trumpets all through the land!' Give a loud shout and say, 'Gather together! Let's run to cities that have high walls around them!'

6 Warn everyone to go to Zion! Run for safety! Do not wait! I am bringing trouble from the north. Everything will be totally destroyed."

7 Lions have come out of their den. Those who destroy nations have begun to march out. They have left their place to destroy your land completely. Your towns will be broken to pieces. No one will live in them.

8 So put on black clothes. Sob and cry over what has happened. The LORD hasn't turned his burning anger away from us.

9 "A dark day is coming," announces the Lord. "The king and his officials will lose hope. The priests will be shocked. And the prophets will be terrified."

10 Then I said, "You are my LORD and King. You have completely tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You have told them, 'You will have peace and rest.' But swords are pointed at our throats."

11 At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be warned. They will be told, "A hot and dry wind is coming, my people. It is blowing toward you from the bare hilltops in the desert. But it does not separate straw from grain.

12 It is much too strong for that. The wind is coming from me. I am making my decision against you."

13 Look! Our enemies are approaching like the clouds. Their chariots are coming like a strong wind. Their horses are faster than eagles. How terrible it will be for us! We'll be destroyed!

14 People of Jerusalem, wash your sins from your hearts and be saved. How long will you hold on to your evil thoughts?

15 A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan. From the hills of Ephraim it announces that trouble is coming.

16 "Tell the nations. Warn Jerusalem. Say, 'An army will attack you. It is coming from a land far away. It will shout a war cry against the cities of Judah.

17 It will surround them like people who guard a field. Judah has refused to obey me,' " announces the Lord.

18 "The army will attack you because of your conduct and actions. That is how you will be punished. It will be so bitter! It will cut deep down into your hearts!"

19 I'm suffering! I'm really suffering! I'm hurting badly. My heart is suffering so much! It's pounding inside me. I can't keep silent. I've heard the sound of trumpets. I've heard the battle cry.

20 One trouble follows another. The whole land is destroyed. In an instant my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment.

21 How long must I look at our enemy's battle flag? How long must I hear the sound of the trumpets?

22 The LORD says, "My people are foolish. They do not know me. They are children who do not have any sense. They have no understanding at all. They are skilled in doing what is evil. They do not know how to do what is good."

23 I looked at the earth. It didn't have any shape. And it was empty. I looked at the sky. Its light was gone.

24 I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All of the hills were swaying.

25 I looked. And there weren't any people. Every bird in the sky had flown away.

26 I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were destroyed. The LORD had done all of that because of his burning anger.

27 The LORD says, "The whole land will be destroyed. But I will not destroy it completely.

28 So the earth will be filled with sadness. The sky above will grow dark. I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them. I have made my decision, and I will not change my mind."

29 People can hear the sound of horsemen. Men who are armed with bows are coming. The people in every town run away. Some of them go into the bushes. Others climb up among the rocks. All of the towns are deserted. No one is living in them.

30 What are you doing, you who are destroyed? Why do you dress yourself in bright red clothes? Why do you put on jewels of gold? Why do you put makeup on your eyes? You make yourself beautiful for no reason at all. Your lovers hate you. They are trying to kill you.

31 I hear a cry like the cry of a woman having a baby. I hear a groan like someone having her first child. It's the cry of the people of Zion struggling to breathe. They reach out their hands and say, "Help us! We're fainting! Murderers are about to kill us!"

Jeremiah 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

Exhortations and promises. (1-2) Judah exhorted to repentance. (3-4) Judgements denounced. (5-18) The approaching ruin of Judah. (19-31)

Verses 1-2 The first two verses should be read with the last chapter. Sin must be put away out of the heart, else it is not put away out of God's sight, for the heart is open before him.

Verses 3-4 An unhumbled heart is like ground untilled. It is ground which may be improved; it is our ground let out to us; but it is fallow; it is over-grown with thorns and weeds, the natural product of the corrupt heart. Let us entreat the Lord to create in us a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within us; for except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Verses 5-18 The fierce conqueror of the neighbouring nations was to make Judah desolate. The prophet was afflicted to see the people lulled into security by false prophets. The approach of the enemy is described. Some attention was paid in Jerusalem to outward reformation; but it was necessary that their hearts should be washed, in the exercise of true repentance and faith, from the love and pollution of sin. When lesser calamities do not rouse sinners and reform nations, sentence will be given against them. The Lord's voice declares that misery is approaching, especially against wicked professors of the gospel; when it overtakes them, it will be plainly seen that the fruit of wickedness is bitter, and the end is fatal.

Verses 19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jewish nation would not be final. Every end of our comforts is not a full end. Though the Lord may correct his people very severely, yet he will not cast them off. Ornaments and false colouring would be of no avail. No outward privileges or profession, no contrivances would prevent destruction. How wretched the state of those who are like foolish children in the concerns of their souls! Whatever we are ignorant of, may the Lord make of good understanding in the ways of godliness. As sin will find out the sinner, so sorrow will, sooner or later, find out the secure.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 4

This chapter begins with several exhortations to repentance; first to Israel, or the ten tribes, to return to the Lord with their whole hearts, and put away their abominations, and serve him in sincerity and uprightness of soul; with promises of rest and safety to themselves; and that it would have a happy influence on the Gentiles, and issue in their conversion; who would hereupon bless themselves in the Lord, and glory in him, Jer 4:1,2, and next to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, to show a concern for renewing and sanctifying grace, signified by various metaphors, lest they should be consumed with the fire of divine wrath, Jer 4:3,4 and then the destruction of that land and city is foretold and described, partly by what was introductory to it, and the proclamation of it, signified by blowing the trumpet, and setting up the standard, Jer 4:5,6,15,19,20, by an account of the destroyers, their cruelty, swiftness, and diligence, Jer 4:7,13,16,17, and of the destruction itself, compared to a violent wind, Jer 4:11,12, by the effect it should have upon the inhabitants of all sorts, high and low, Jer 4:8,9, and had upon the prophet himself, Jer 4:10,19,21, and by the cause and ground of it, the sins of the people, which they are called upon to repent of, Jer 4:14,17,18,22 and by a vision the prophet had of the dreadful desolation of the land, Jer 4:23-29 and by the vain and false hopes the people would have of their recovery, and the great anxiety and distress they would be in, Jer 4:30,31.