Jeremiah 19:1-15
Q.1. What was Jeremiah instructed by God to do? What was God’s message to Judah? What was Jeremiah to do to the jar? Why? – (Jer.19:1-15)
The Lord directed Jeremiah to return to the potter’s house to buy an earthenware pot. He was instructed to take some of the elders and priests outside the walls of the city near the eastern entrance to be witnesses to God’s message (Jer.19:1-2). He was to tell them – Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle’ (Jer.19:3). He then outlined God’s charges against His people. God was outraged that they had sacrificed to other gods and had filled Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent – and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind (Jer.19:5 c.f. Jer.19:4). He pronounced that Jerusalem would be known as the Valley of Slaughter and that the carcasses of the inhabitants would be food for the birds and beasts (Jer.19:6-9). He was to break the jar in the sight of the leaders and declare – …’‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial “(Jer.19:11 c.f. Jer.19:10-12). He was to announce – “The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host and poured out drink offerings to other gods “(Jer.19:13). He then stood in the court of the Lord’s house and repeated God’s word – … ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words’ (Jer.19:15). The chastening rod would have the purpose of correcting and changing their hearts and their conduct. Paul stated that believers are mere clay pots that must also be shattered so that the fragrance of Christ can escape and bring glory to God (c.f. 2 Cor.4:7ff).