Jeremiah 13:1-27
Q.1. What were God’s instructions to Jeremiah? How was this tailor-made for his situation? What happened to the waistband? What was the lesson to be learned from the ruined waistband? – (Jer.13:1-11)
Jeremiah was instructed by God to buy a waistband, to wear, it but not to get it wet. Importantly, Jeremiah recorded that he – … bought the waistband in accordance with the word of the Lord and put it around my waist (Jer.13:2). Next, God told him to hide it in the crevice of a rock by the Euphrates River (Jer.13:3-5). Many days later, the Lord told the prophet to collect the waistband where it had been hidden, but – the waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless (Jer.13:7). These trips to the Euphrates River would have taken many weeks, so gave the persecuted prophet a valuable break from his trials (c.f. Jer.11:18-20). More importantly, the waistband summed up the heartbreaking decline of the nation – For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’ (Jer.13:11). God had had such lofty plans for His people, but they turned away from Him. Consequently – Thus says the Lord, ‘Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the pride of Jerusalem (Jer.13:9). Just as Jesus did, God the Father spoke to His people in parables (c.f. Mk.4:2, 10-12).
Q.2. What point was God wanting to make with the jugs filled with wine? What would happen to Judah? How does God illustrate the impossibility of their change? – (Jer.13:12-27)
God commanded Jeremiah to fill every jug with wine (Jer.13:12 c.f. Jer.35:5-6). Later he would commend the Rechabites for their refusal to drink wine (Jer.35:18-19). Here however, it was done by the prophet to demonstrate the Lord’s denunciation – 13 … “Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! 14 I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them” (Jer.13:13-14). God still offers hope, because He loves His people – 15 Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, for the Lord has spoken. 16 Give glory to the Lord your God … 17 But if you do not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; My eyes will bitterly weep and flow down with tears (Jer.13:15-17). He made a special appeal to the king and queen (Jer.13:18-19). Nevertheless, judgment was coming through the Babylonian Empire – because of the magnitude of your iniquities (Jer.13:22). He asked – Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil (Jer.13:23). The doom of His people was sealed.