mh_parser/vol_split/24 - Jeremiah/Chapter 43.xml

<div2 id="Jer.xliv" n="xliv" next="Jer.xlv" prev="Jer.xliii" progress="44.08%" title="Chapter XLIII">
<h2 id="Jer.xliv-p0.1">J E R E M I A H.</h2>
<h3 id="Jer.xliv-p0.2">CHAP. XLIII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jer.xliv-p1" shownumber="no">Jeremiah had faithfully delivered his message from
God in the foregoing chapter, and the case was made so very plain
by it that one would have thought there needed no more words about
it; but we find it quite otherwise. Here is, I. The people's
contempt of this message; they denied it to be the word of God
(<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.1-Jer.43.3" parsed="|Jer|43|1|43|3" passage="Jer 43:1-3">ver. 1-3</scripRef>) and then made
no difficulty of going directly contrary to it. Into Egypt they
went, and took Jeremiah himself along with them, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.4-Jer.43.7" parsed="|Jer|43|4|43|7" passage="Jer 43:4-7">ver. 4-7</scripRef>. II. God's pursuit of them with
another message, foretelling the king of Babylon's pursuit of them
into Egypt, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.8-Jer.43.13" parsed="|Jer|43|8|43|13" passage="Jer 43:8-13">ver.
8-13</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Jer.xliv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43" parsed="|Jer|43|0|0|0" passage="Jer 43" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jer.xliv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.1-Jer.43.7" parsed="|Jer|43|1|43|7" passage="Jer 43:1-7" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xliv-p1.6">
<h4 id="Jer.xliv-p1.7">The People's Insolent Reply. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p1.8">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xliv-p2" shownumber="no">1 And it came to pass, <i>that</i> when Jeremiah
had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p2.1">Lord</span> their God, for which the
<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p2.2">Lord</span> their God had sent him to them,
<i>even</i> all these words,   2 Then spake Azariah the son of
Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men,
saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p2.3">Lord</span> our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not
into Egypt to sojourn there:   3 But Baruch the son of Neriah
setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the
Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away
captives into Babylon.   4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and
all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the
voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p2.4">Lord</span>, to dwell in the
land of Judah.   5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the
captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were
returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell
in the land of Judah;   6 <i>Even</i> men, and women, and
children, and the king's daughters, and every person that
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son
of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch
the son of Neriah.   7 So they came into the land of Egypt:
for they obeyed not the voice of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p2.5">Lord</span>: thus came they <i>even</i> to
Tahpanhes.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p3" shownumber="no">What God said to the builders of Babel may
be truly said of this people that Jeremiah is now dealing with:
<i>Now nothing will be restrained from them which they have
imagined to do,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.11.6" parsed="|Gen|11|6|0|0" passage="Ge 11:6">Gen. xi.
6</scripRef>. They have a fancy for Egypt, and to Egypt they will
go, whatever God himself says to the contrary. Jeremiah made them
hear all he had to say, though he saw them uneasy at it; it was
what the Lord their God had sent him to speak to them, and they
shall have it all. And now let us see what they have to say to
it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p4" shownumber="no">I. They deny it to be a message from God:
<i>Johanan, and all the proud men, said to Jeremiah, Thou speakest
falsely,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.2" parsed="|Jer|43|2|0|0" passage="Jer 43:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>.
See here, 1. What was the cause of their disobedience—it was
pride; only by that comes contention both with God and man. They
were <i>proud men</i> that gave the lie to the prophet. They could
not bear the contradiction of their sentiments and the control of
their designs, no, not by the divine wisdom, by the divine will
itself. Pharaoh said, <i>Who is the Lord, that I should obey
him?</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.5.2" parsed="|Exod|5|2|0|0" passage="Ex 5:2">Exod. v. 2</scripRef>. The
proud unhumbled heart of man is one of the most daring enemies God
has on this side hell. 2. What was the colour for their
disobedience. They would not acknowledge it to be the word of God:
<i>The Lord hath not sent thee</i> on this errand to us. Either
they were not convinced that what was said came from God or (which
I rather think) though they were convinced of it they would not own
it. The light shone strongly in their face, but they either shut
their eyes against it or would not confess that they saw it. Note,
The reason why men deny the scriptures to be the word of God is
because they are resolved not to conform to scripture-rules, and so
an obstinate infidelity is made the sorry subterfuge of a wilful
disobedience. If God had spoken to them by an angel, or as he did
from Mount Sinai, they would have said that it was a delusion. Had
they not consulted Jeremiah as a prophet? Had he not waited to
receive instructions from God what to say to them? Had not what he
said all the usual marks of prophecy upon it? Was not the prophet
himself embarked in the same bottom with them? What interests could
he have separate from theirs? Had he not always approved himself an
Israelite indeed? And had not God proved him a prophet indeed? Had
any of his words ever fallen to the ground? Why, truly, they had
some good thoughts of Jeremiah, but they suggest (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.3" parsed="|Jer|43|3|0|0" passage="Jer 43:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>), <i>Baruch sets thee on
against us.</i> A likely thing, that Baruch should be in a plot to
<i>deliver them into the hands of the Chaldeans;</i> and what would
he get by that? If Jeremiah and he had been so well affected to the
Chaldeans as they would represent them, they would have gone away
at first with Nebuzaradan, when he courted them, to Babylon, and
not have staid to take their lot with this despised ungrateful
remnant. But the best services are no fences against malice and
slander. Or, if Baruch had been so ill disposed, could they think
Jeremiah would be so influenced by him as to make God's name an
authority to patronise so villainous a purpose? Note, Those that
are resolved to contradict the great ends of the ministry are
industrious to bring a bad name upon it. When men will persist in
sin they represent those that would turn them from it as designing
men for themselves, nay, as ill-designing men against their
neighbours. It is well for persons who are thus misrepresented that
their witness is in heaven and their record on high.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p5" shownumber="no">II. They determine to go to Egypt
notwithstanding. They resolve not to <i>dwell in the land of
Judah,</i> as God had ordered them (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.4" parsed="|Jer|43|4|0|0" passage="Jer 43:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), but to go themselves with one
consent and to take all that they had under their power along with
them to Egypt. Those that came <i>from all the nations whither they
had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah,</i> out of a
sincere affection to that land, they would not leave to their
liberty, but forced them to go with them into Egypt (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.5" parsed="|Jer|43|5|0|0" passage="Jer 43:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>), <i>men, women, and
children</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.6" parsed="|Jer|43|6|0|0" passage="Jer 43:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>),
a long journey into a strange country, an idolatrous country, a
country that had never been kind of faithful to Israel; yet thither
they would go, though they deserted their own land and threw
themselves out of God's protection. It is the folly of men that
they know not when they are well off, and often ruin themselves by
endeavouring to better themselves; and it is the pride of great men
to force those they have under their power to follow them, though
ever so much against their duty and interest. These proud men
compelled even Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch his scribe to go
along with them to Egypt; they carried them away as prisoners,
partly to punish them (and a greater punishment they could not
inflict upon them than to force them against their consciences;
theirs is the worst of tyranny who say to men's souls, even to good
men's souls, <i>Bow down, that we may go over</i>), partly to put
some reputation upon themselves and their own way. Though the
prophets were under a force, they would make the world believe that
they were voluntary in going along with them; and who could have
blamed them for acting contrary to the word of the Lord if the
prophets themselves had acted so? They <i>came to Tahpanhes,</i> a
famous city of Egypt (so called from a queen of that name,
<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.11.19" parsed="|1Kgs|11|19|0|0" passage="1Ki 11:19">1 Kings xi. 19</scripRef>), the same
with <i>Hanes</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:Isa.30.4" parsed="|Isa|30|4|0|0" passage="Isa 30:4">Isa. xxx.
4</scripRef>); it was now the metropolis, for Pharaoh's house was
there, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.9" parsed="|Jer|43|9|0|0" passage="Jer 43:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. No
place could serve these proud men to settle in but the royal city
and near the court, so little mindful were they of Joseph's wisdom,
who would have his brethren settle in Goshen. If they had had the
spirit of Israelites, they would have chosen rather to dwell in the
wilderness of Judah than in the most pompous populous cities of
Egypt.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jer.xliv-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.8-Jer.43.13" parsed="|Jer|43|8|43|13" passage="Jer 43:8-13" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xliv-p5.8">
<h4 id="Jer.xliv-p5.9">Jeremiah's Prophecies in
Egypt. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p5.10">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xliv-p6" shownumber="no">8 Then came the word of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p6.1">Lord</span> unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,  
9 Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the
brick-kiln, which <i>is</i> at the entry of Pharaoh's house in
Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;   10 And say unto
them, Thus saith the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xliv-p6.2">Lord</span> of hosts,
the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the
king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these
stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over
them.   11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of
Egypt, <i>and deliver</i> such <i>as are</i> for death to death;
and such <i>as are</i> for captivity to captivity; and such <i>as
are</i> for the sword to the sword.   12 And I will kindle a
fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them,
and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the
land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall
go forth from thence in peace.   13 He shall break also the
images of Beth-shemesh, that <i>is</i> in the land of Egypt; and
the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with
fire.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p7" shownumber="no">We have here, as also in the next chapter,
Jeremiah prophesying in Egypt. Jeremiah was now in Tahpanhes, for
there his lords and masters were; he was there among idolatrous
Egyptians and treacherous Israelites; but there, 1. He received
<i>the word of the Lord;</i> it <i>came to him.</i> God can find
his people, with the visits of his grace, wherever they are; and,
when his ministers are bound, yet the word of the Lord is not
bound. The spirit of prophecy was not confined to the land of
Israel. When Jeremiah went into Egypt, not out of choice, but by
constraint, God withdrew not his wonted favour from him. 2. What he
received of the Lord he delivered to the people. Wherever we are we
must endeavour to do good, for that is our business in this world.
Now we find two messages which Jeremiah was appointed and entrusted
to deliver when he was in Egypt. We may suppose that he rendered
what services he could to his countrymen in Egypt, at least as far
as they would be acceptable, in performing the ordinary duties of a
prophet, praying for them and instructing and comforting them; but
only two messages of his, which he had received immediately from
God, are recorded, one in this chapter, relating to Egypt itself
and foretelling its destruction, the other in the next chapter,
relating to the Jews in Egypt. God had told them before that if
they went into Egypt the sword they feared should follow them; here
he tells them further that the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, which they
were in a particular manner afraid of, should follow them.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p8" shownumber="no">I. This is foretold by a sign. Jeremiah
must take <i>great stones,</i> such as are used for foundations,
and <i>lay them in the clay of the</i> furnace, or
<i>brick-kiln,</i> which is in <i>the open way,</i> or <i>beside
the way</i> that leads <i>to Pharaoh's house</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.9" parsed="|Jer|43|9|0|0" passage="Jer 43:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>), some remarkable place
in view of the royal palace. Egypt was famous for brick-kilns,
witness the slavery of the Israelites there, whom they forced to
make bricks (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.5.7" parsed="|Exod|5|7|0|0" passage="Ex 5:7">Exod. v. 7</scripRef>),
which perhaps was now remembered against them. The foundation of
Egypt's desolation was laid in those brick-kilns, in <i>that
clay.</i> This he must do, not in the sight of the Egyptians (they
knew not Jeremiah's character), but <i>in the sight of the men of
Judah</i> to whom he was sent, that, since he could not prevent
their going into Egypt, he might bring them to repent of their
going.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xliv-p9" shownumber="no">II. It is foretold in express words, as
express as can be, 1. That the king, the present king of Babylon,
Nebuchadnezzar, the very same that had been employed in the
destruction of Jerusalem, should come in person against the land of
Egypt, should make himself master even of this royal city, by the
same token that he should <i>set his throne</i> in that very place
where <i>these stones</i> were laid, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.10" parsed="|Jer|43|10|0|0" passage="Jer 43:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>. This minute circumstance is
particularly foretold, that, when it was accomplished, they might
be put in mind of the prophecy and confirmed in their belief of the
extent and certainly of the divine prescience, to which the
smallest and most contingent events are evident. God calls
Nebuchadnezzar his servant, because herein he executed God's will,
accomplished his purposes, and was instrumental to carry on his
designs. Note, The world's princes are God's servants and he makes
what use he pleases of them, and even those that know him not, nor
aim at his honour, are the tools which his providence makes use of.
2. That he should destroy many of the Egyptians, and have them all
at his mercy (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.11" parsed="|Jer|43|11|0|0" passage="Jer 43:11"><i>v.</i>
11</scripRef>): <i>He shall smite the land of Egypt;</i> and,
though it has been always a warlike nation, yet none shall be able
to make head against him, but whom he will he shall slay, and by
what sort of death he will, whether pestilence (for that is here
meant by <i>death,</i> as <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.15.2" parsed="|Jer|15|2|0|0" passage="Jer 15:2"><i>ch.</i>
xv. 2</scripRef>) by shutting them up in places infected, or by the
sword of war or justice, in cold blood or hot. And whom he will he
shall save alive and carry into <i>captivity.</i> The Jews, by
going into Egypt, brought the Chaldeans thither, and so did but ill
repay those that entertained them. Those who promised to protect
Israel from the king of Babylon exposed themselves to him. 3. That
he shall destroy the idols of Egypt, both the temples and the
images of their gods (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.12" parsed="|Jer|43|12|0|0" passage="Jer 43:12"><i>v.</i>
12</scripRef>): <i>He shall burn, the houses of the gods of
Egypt,</i> but it shall be with a fire of God's kindling; the fire
of God's wrath fastens upon them, and then he burns some of them
and carries others captive, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.5" osisRef="Bible:Isa.46.1" parsed="|Isa|46|1|0|0" passage="Isa 46:1">Isa. xlvi.
1</scripRef>. <i>Beth-shemesh,</i> or <i>the house of the sun,</i>
was so called from a temple there built to the sun, where at
certain times there was a general meeting of the worshippers of the
sun. The statues or standing images there he shall <i>break in
pieces</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.6" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.13" parsed="|Jer|43|13|0|0" passage="Jer 43:13"><i>v.</i> 13</scripRef>)
and carry away the rich materials of them. It intimates that he
should lay all waste when even the temple and the images should not
escape the fury of the victorious army. The king of Babylon was
himself a great idolater and a patron of idolatry; he had his
temples and images in honour of the sun as well as the Egyptians;
and yet he is employed to destroy the idols of Egypt. Thus God
sometimes makes one wicked man, or wicked nation, a scourge and
plague to another. 4. That he shall make himself master of the land
of Egypt, and none shall be able to plead its cause or avenge its
quarrel (<scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.43.12" parsed="|Jer|43|12|0|0" passage="Jer 43:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>):
<i>He shall array himself with the rich spoils of the land of
Egypt,</i> both beautify and fortify himself with them. He shall
array himself with them as ornaments and as armour; and this,
though it shall be a rich and heavy booty, being expert in war, and
expeditious, he shall slip on with as much ease and in as little
time, in comparison, <i>as a shepherd slips on his garment,</i>
when he goes to turn out his sheep in a morning. And being loaded
with the wealth of many other nations, the fruits of his conquests,
he shall make no more of the spoils of the land of Egypt than of a
shepherd's coat. And when he has taken what he pleases (as Benhadad
threatened to do, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.8" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.20.6" parsed="|1Kgs|20|6|0|0" passage="1Ki 20:6">1 Kings xx.
6</scripRef>) he shall <i>go forth in peace,</i> without any
molestation given him, or any precipitation for fear of it, so
effectually reduced shall the land of Egypt be. This destruction of
Egypt by the king of Babylon is foretold, <scripRef id="Jer.xliv-p9.9" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.29.19 Bible:Ezek.30.10" parsed="|Ezek|29|19|0|0;|Ezek|30|10|0|0" passage="Eze 29:19,30:10">Ezek. xxix. 19 and xxx. 10</scripRef>. Babylon
lay at a great distance from Egypt, and yet thence the destruction
of Egypt comes; for God can make those judgments strike home which
are far-fetched.</p>
</div></div2>