Notes from Jeremiah 45

The prophecy we have in this chapter concerns Baruch only, yet is intended for the support and encouragement of all the Lord's people that serve him faithfully and keep closely to him in difficult trying times. It is placed here after the story of the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, but was delivered long before, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, as was the prophecy in the next chapter, and probably those that follow. We here find,

I. How Baruch was terrified when he was brought into trouble for writing and reading Jeremiah's roll (v. 1-3).
II. How his fears were checked with a reproof for his great expectations and silenced with a promise of special preservation (v. 4, 5).
Though Baruch was only Jeremiah's scribe, yet this notice is taken of his frights, and this provision made for his comfort; for God despises not any of his servants, but graciously concerns himself for the meanest and weakest, for Baruch the scribe as well as for Jeremiah the prophet.

Notes from Jeremiah 44

In this chapter we have,

I. An awakening sermon which Jeremiah preaches to the Jews in Egypt, to reprove them for their idolatry, notwithstanding the warnings given them both by the word and the rod of God and to threaten the judgments of God against them for it (v. 1-14).
II. The impudent and impious contempt which the people put upon this admonition, and their declared resolution to persist in their idolatries notwithstanding, in despite of God and Jeremiah (v. 15-19).
III. The sentence passed upon them for their obstinacy, that they should all be cut off and perish in Egypt except a very small number; and, as a sign or earnest of it, the king of Egypt should shortly fall into the hands of the king of Babylon and be unable any longer to protect them (v. 20-30).

Notes from Jeremiah 43

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 (v. 1-3) and then made no difficulty of going directly contrary to it. Into Egypt they went, and took Jeremiah himself along with them (v. 4-7).
II. God's pursuit of them with another message, foretelling the king of Babylon's pursuit of them into Egypt (v. 8-13).

Notes from Jeremiah 42

Johanan and the captains being strongly bent upon going into Egypt, either their affections or politics advising them to take that course, they had a great desire that God should direct them to do so too like Balaam, who, when he was determined to go and curse Israel, asked God leave. Here is,

I. The fair bargain that was made between Jeremiah and them about consulting God in this matter (v. 1-6).
II. The message at large which God sent them, in answer to their enquiry, in which,
1. They are commanded and encouraged to continue in the land of Judah, and assured that if they did so it should be well with them (v. 7-12).
2. They are forbidden to go to Egypt, and are plainly told that if they did it would be their ruin (v. 13-18).
3. They are charged with dissimulation in their asking what God's will was in this matter and disobedience when they were told what it was; and sentence is accordingly passed upon them (v. 19-22).

Notes from Jeremiah 41

It is a very tragical story that is related in this chapter, and shows that evil pursues sinners. The black cloud that was gathering in the foregoing chapter here bursts in a dreadful storm. Those few Jews that escaped the captivity were proud to think that they were still in their own land, when their brethren had gone they knew not whither, were fond of the wine and summer-fruits they had gathered, and were very secure under Gedaliah's protectorship, when, on a sudden, even these remains prove ruins too.

I. Gedaliah is barbarously slain by Ishmael (v. 1, 2).
II. All the Jews that were with him were slain likewise (v. 3) and a pit filled with their dead bodies (v. 9).
III. Some devout men, to the number of fourscore, that were going towards Jerusalem, were drawn in by Ishmael, and murdered likewise (v. 4-7). Only ten of them escaped (v. 8).
IV. Those that escaped the sword were taken prisoners by Ishmael, and carried off towards the country of the Ammonites (v. 10).
V. By the conduct and courage of Johanan, though the death of the slain is not revenged, yet the prisoners are recovered, and he now becomes their commander-in-chief (v. 11-16).
VI. His project is to carry them into the land of Egypt (v. 17, 18), which we shall hear more of in the next chapter.

Notes from Jeremiah 40

We have attended Jerusalem's funeral pile, and have taken our leave of the captives that were carried to Babylon, not expecting to hear any more of them in this book: perhaps we may in Ezekiel; and we must in this and the four following chapters observe the story of those few Jews that were left to remain in the land after their brethren were carried away, and it is a very melancholy story; for, though at first there were some hopeful prospects of their well-doing, they soon appeared as obstinate in sin as ever, unhumbled and unreformed, till, all the rest of the judgments threatened in Deu. 28 being brought upon them, that which in the last verse of that dreadful chapter completes the threatenings was accomplished, "The Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again.' In this chapter we have,

I. A more particular account of Jeremiah's discharge and his settlement with Gedaliah (v. 1-6).
II. The great resort of the Jews that remained scattered in the neighbouring countries to Gedaliah, who was made their governor under the king of Babylon; and the good posture they were in for a while under him (v. 7-12).
III. A treacherous design formed against Gedaliah, by Ishmael, which we shall find executed in the next chapter (v. 13-16).

Notes from Jeremiah 39

As the prophet Isaiah, after he had largely foretold the deliverance of Jerusalem out of the hands of the king of Assyria, gave a particular narrative of the story, that it might appear how exactly the event answered to the prediction, so the prophet Jeremiah, after he had largely foretold the delivering of Jerusalem into the hands of the king of Babylon, gives a particular account of that sad event for the same reason. That melancholy story we have in this chapter, which serves to disprove the false flattering prophets and to confirm the word of God's messengers. We are here told,

I. That Jerusalem, after eighteen months' siege, was taken by the Chaldean army (v. 1-3).
II. That king Zedekiah, attempting to make his escape, was seized and made a miserable captive to the king of Babylon (v. 4-7).
III. That Jerusalem was burnt to the ground, and the people were carried captive, except the poor (v. 8-10).
IV. That the Chaldeans were very kind to Jeremiah, and took particular care of him (v. 11-14).
V. That Ebed-melech too, for his kindness, had a protection from God himself in this day of desolation (v. 15-18).

Notes from Jeremiah 38

In this chapter, just as in the former, we have Jeremiah greatly debased under the frowns of the princes, and yet greatly honoured by the favour of the king. They used him as a criminal; he used him as a privy-counsellor. Here,

I. Jeremiah for his faithfulness is put into the dungeon by the princes (v. 1-6).
II. At the intercession of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, by special order from the king, he is taken up out of the dungeon and confined only to the court of the prison (v. 7-13).
III. He has a private conference with the king upon the present conjuncture of affairs (v. 14-22).
IV. Care is taken to keep that conference private (v. 24-28).

Notes from Jeremiah 37

This chapter brings us very near the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, for the story of it lies in the latter end of Zedekiah's reign; we have in it,

I. A general idea of the bad character of that reign (v. 1, 2).
II. The message which Zedekiah, notwithstanding, sent to Jeremiah to desire his prayers (v. 3).
III. The flattering hopes which the people had conceived, that the Chaldeans would quit the siege of Jerusalem (v. 5).
IV. The assurance God gave them by Jeremiah (who was now at liberty, v. 4) that the Chaldean army should renew the siege and take the city (v. 6-10).
V. The imprisonment of Jeremiah, under pretence that he was a deserter (v. 11-15).
VI. The kindness which Zedekiah showed him when he was a prisoner (v. 16-21).

Notes from Jeremiah 36

Here is another expedient tried to work upon this heedless and untoward people, but it is tried in vain. A roll of a book is provided, containing an abstract or abridgment of all the sermons that Jeremiah had preached to them, that they might be put in mind of what they had heard and might the better understand it, when they had it all before them at one view. Now here we have,

I. The writing of this roll by Baruch, as Jeremiah dictated it (v. 1-4).
II. The reading of the roll by Baruch to all the people publicly on a fast-day (v. 5-10), afterwards by Baruch to the princes privately (v. 11-19), and lastly by Jehudi to the king (v. 20, 21).
III. The burning of the roll by the king, with orders to prosecute Jeremiah and Baruch (v. 22-26).
IV. The writing of another roll, with large additions, particularly of Jehoiakim's doom for burning the former (v. 27-32).

Notes from Jeremiah 35

A variety of methods is tried, and every stone turned, to awaken the Jews to a sense of their sin and to bring them to repentance and reformation. The scope and tendency of many of the prophet's sermons was to frighten them out of their disobedience, by setting before them what would be the end thereof if they persisted in it. The scope of this sermon, in this chapter, is to shame them out of their disobedience if they had any sense of honour left in them for a discourse of this nature to fasten upon.

I. He sets before them the obedience of the family of the Rechabites to the commands which were left them by Jonadab their ancestor, and how they persevered in that obedience and would not be tempted from it (v. 1-11).
II. With this he aggravates the disobedience of the Jews to God and their contempt of his precepts (v. 12-15).
III. He foretels the judgments of God upon the Jews for their impious disobedience to God (v. 16, 17).
IV. He assures the Rechabites of the blessing of God upon them for their pious obedience to their father (v. 18, 19).

Notes from Jeremiah 34

In this chapter we have two messages which God sent by Jeremiah.

I. One to foretel the fate of Zedekiah king of Judah, that he should fall into the hands of the king of Babylon, that he should live a captive, but should at last die in peace in his captivity (v. 1-7).
II. Another to read the doom both of prince and people for their treacherous dealings with God, in bringing back into bondage their servants whom they had released according to the law, and so playing fast and loose with God. They had walked at all adventures with God (v. 8-11), and therefore God would walk at all adventures with them, in bringing the Chaldean army upon them again when they began to hope that they had got clear of them (v. 12-22).

Notes from Jeremiah 33

The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the foregoing chapter-to confirm the promise of the restoration of the Jews, notwithstanding the present desolations of their country and dispersions of their people. And these promises have, both in type and tendency, a reference as far forward as to the gospel church, to which this second edition of the Jewish church was at length to resign its dignities and privileges. It is here promised,

I. That the city shall be rebuilt and re-established "in statu quo-in its former state' (v. 1-6).
II. That the captives, having their sins pardoned, shall be restored (v. 7, 8).
III. That this shall redound very much to the glory of God (v. 9).
IV. That the country shall have both joy and plenty (v. 10-14).
V. That way shall be made for the coming of the Messiah (v. 15, 16).
VI. That the house of David, the house of Levi, and the house of Israel, shall flourish again, and be established, and all three in the kingdom of Christ; a gospel ministry and the gospel church shall continue while the world stands (v. 17-26).

Notes from Jeremiah 32

In this chapter we have,

I. Jeremiah imprisoned for foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of king Zedekiah (v. 1-5).
II. We have him buying land, by divine appointment, as an assurance that in due time a happy end should be put to the present troubles (v. 6-15).
III. We have his prayer, which he offered up to God upon that occasion (v. 16-25).
IV. We have a message which God thereupon entrusted him to deliver to the people.
1. He must foretel the utter destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their sins (v. 26-35). But,
2. At the same time he must assure them that, though the destruction was total, it should not be final, but that at length their posterity should recover the peaceable possession of their own land (v. 36-44).
The predictions of this chapter, both threatenings and promises, are much the same with what we have already met with again and again, but here are some circumstances that are very particular and remarkable.

Notes from Jeremiah 31

This chapter goes on with the good words and comfortable words which we had in the chapter before, for the encouragement of the captives, assuring them that God would in due time restore them or their children to their own land, and make them a great and happy nation again, especially by sending them the Messiah, in whose kingdom and grace many of these promises were to have their full accomplishment.

I. They shall be restored to peace and honour, and joy and great plenty (v. 1-14).
II. Their sorrow for the loss of their children shall be at an end (v. 15-17).
III. They shall repent of their sins, and God will graciously accept them in their repentance (v. 18-20).
IV. They shall be multiplied and increased, both their children and their cattle, and not be cut off and diminished as they had been (v. 21-30).
V. God will renew his covenant with them, and enrich it with spiritual blessings (v. 31-34).
VI. These blessings shall be secured to theirs after them, even to the spiritual seed of Israel for ever (v. 35-37).
VII. As an earnest of this the city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt (v. 38-40).
These exceedingly great and precious promises were firm foundations of hope and full fountains of joy to the poor captives; and we also may apply them to ourselves and mix faith with them.

Notes from Jeremiah 30

The sermon which we have in this and the following chapter is of a very different complexion from all those before. The prophet does indeed, by direction from God, change his voice. Most of what he had said hitherto was by way of reproof and threatening; but these two chapters are wholly taken up with precious promises of a return out of captivity, and that typical of the glorious things reserved for the church in the days of the Messiah. The prophet is told not only to preach this, but to write it, because it is intended for the comfort of the generation to come (v. 1-3). It is here promised,

I. That they should hereafter have a joyful restoration.
1. Though they were now in a great deal of pain and terror (v. 4-7).
2. Though their oppressors were very strong (v. 8-10).
3. Though a full end was made of other nations, and they were not restored (v. 11).
4. Though all means of their deliverance seemed to fail and be cut off (v. 12-14).
5. Though God himself had sent them into captivity, and justly, for their sins (v. 15, 16).
6. Though all about them looked upon their case as desperate (v. 17).
II. That after their joyful restoration they should have a happy settlement, that their city should be rebuilt (v. 18), their numbers increased (v. 19, 20), their government established (v. 21), God's covenant with them renewed (v. 22), and their enemies destroyed and cut off (v. 23, 24).

Notes from Jeremiah 29

The contest between Jeremiah and the false prophets was carried on before by preaching, here by writing; there we had sermon against sermon, here we have letter against letter, for some of the false prophets are now carried away into captivity in Babylon, while Jeremiah remains in his own country. Now here is,

I. A letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, against their prophets that they had there (v. 1-3), in which letter,
1. He endeavours to reconcile them to their captivity, to be easy under it and to make the best of it (v. 4-7).
2. He cautions them not to give any credit to their false prophets, who fed them with hopes of a speedy release (v. 8, 9).
3. He assures them that God would restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of 70 years (v. 10-14).
4. He foretels the destruction of those who yet continued, and that they should be persecuted with one judgment after another, and sent at last into captivity (v. 15-19).
5. He prophesies the destruction of two of their false prophets that they had in Babylon, that both soothed them up in their sins and set them bad examples (v. 20-23), and this is the purport of Jeremiah's letter.
II. Here is a letter which Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, wrote to the priests at Jerusalem, to stir them up to persecute Jeremiah (v. 24-29), and a denunciation of God's wrath against him for writing such a letter (v. 30-32).
Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

Notes from Jeremiah 28

In the foregoing chapter Jeremiah had charged those prophets with lies who foretold the speedy breaking of the yoke of the king of Babylon and the speedy return of the vessels of the sanctuary; how here we have his contest with a particular prophet upon those heads.

I. Hananiah, a pretender to prophecy, in contradiction to Jeremiah, foretold the sinking of Nebuchadnezzar's power and the return both of the persons and of the vessels that were carried away (v. 1-4), and, as a sing of this, he broke the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah (v. 10, 11).
II. Jeremiah wished his words might prove true, but appealed to the event whether they were so or no, not doubting but that would disprove them (v. 5-9).
III. The doom both of the deceived and the deceiver is here read. The people that were deceived should have their yoke of wood turned into a yoke of iron (v. 12-14), and the prophet that was the deceiver should be shortly cut off by death, and he was so, accordingly, within two months (v. 15-17).

Notes from Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah the prophet, since he cannot persuade people to submit to God's precept, and so to prevent the destruction of their country by the king of Babylon, is here persuading them to submit to God's providence, by yielding tamely to the king of Babylon, and becoming tributaries to him, which was the wisest course they could now take, and would be a mitigation of the calamity, and prevent the laying of their country waste by fire and sword; the sacrificing of their liberties would be the saving of their lives.

I. He gives this counsel, in God's name, to the kings of the neighbouring nations, that they might make the best of bad, assuring them that there was no remedy, but they must serve the king of Babylon; and yet in time there should be relief, for his dominion should last but 70 years (v. 1-11).
II. He gives this counsel to Zedekiah king of Judah particularly (v. 12-15) and to the priests and people, assuring them that the king of Babylon should still proceed against them till things were brought to the last extremity, and a patient submission would be the only way to mitigate the calamity and make it easy (v. 16-22).
Thus the prophet, if they would but have hearkened to him, would have directed them in the paths of true policy as well as of true piety.

Notes from Jeremiah 26

As in the history of the Acts of the Apostles that of their preaching and that of their suffering are interwoven, so it is in the account we have of the prophet Jeremiah; witness this chapter, where we are told,

I. How faithfully he preached (v. 1-6).
II. How spitefully he was persecuted for so doing by the priests and the prophets (v. 7-11).
III. How bravely he stood to his doctrine, in the face of his persecutors (v. 12-15).
IV. How wonderfully he was protected and delivered by the prudence of the princes and elders (v. 16-19). Though Urijah, another prophet, was about the same time put to death by Jehoiakim (v. 20-23), yet Jeremiah met with those that sheltered him (v. 24).

Notes from Jeremiah 25

The prophecy of this chapter bears date some time before those prophecies in the chapters next foregoing, for they are not placed in the exact order of time in which they were delivered. This is dated in the first year of Nebuchadrezzar, that remarkable year when the sword of the Lord began to be drawn and furbished. Here is,

I. A review of the prophecies that had been delivered to Judah and Jerusalem for many years past, by Jeremiah himself and other prophets, with the little regard given to them and the little success of them (v. 1-7).
II. A very express threatening of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, by the king of Babylon, for their contempt of God, and their continuance in sin (v. 8-11), to which is annexed a promise of their deliverance out of their captivity in Babylon, after 70 years (v. 12-14).
III. A prediction of the devastation of divers other nations about, by Nebuchadrezzar, represented by a "cup of fury' put into their hands (v. 15-28), by a sword sent among them (v. 29-33), and a desolation made among the shepherds and their flocks and pastures (v. 34-38); so that we have here judgment beginning at the house of God, but not ending there.

Notes from Jeremiah 24

In the close of the foregoing chapter we had a general prediction of the utter ruin of Jerusalem, that it should be forsaken and forgotten, which, whatever effect it had upon others, we have reason to think made the prophet himself very melancholy. Now, in this chapter, God encourages him, by showing him that, though the desolation seemed to be universal, yet all were not equally involved in it, but God knew how to distinguish, how to separate, between the precious and the vile. Some had gone into captivity already with Jeconiah; over them Jeremiah lamented, but God tells him that it should turn to their good. Others yet remained hardened in their sins, against whom Jeremiah had a just indignation; but those, God tells him, should go into captivity, and it should prove to their hurt. To inform the prophet of this, and affect him with it, here is,

I. A vision of two baskets of figs, one very good and the other very bad (v. 1-3).
II. The explication of this vision, applying the good figs to those that were already sent into captivity for their good (v. 4-7), the bad figs to those that should hereafter be sent into captivity for their hurt (v. 8-10).

Notes from Jeremiah 23

In this chapter the prophet, in God's name, is dealing his reproofs and threatenings,

I. Among the careless princes, or pastors of the people (v. 1, 2), yet promising to take care of the flock, which they had been wanting in their duty to (v. 3-8).
II. Among the wicked prophets and priests, whose bad character is here given at large in divers instances, especially their imposing upon the people with their pretended inspirations, at which the prophet is astonished, and for which they must expect to be punished (v. 9-32).
III. Among the profane people, who ridiculed God's prophets and bantered them (v. 33-40).
When all have thus corrupted their way they must all expect to be told faithfully of it.

Notes from Jeremiah 22

Upon occasion of the message sent in the foregoing chapter to the house of the king, we have here recorded some sermons which Jeremiah preached at court, in some preceding reigns, that it might appear they had had fair warning long before that fatal sentence was pronounced upon them, and were put in a way to prevent it. Here is,

I. A message sent to the royal family, as it should seem in the reign of Jehoiakim, relating partly to Jehoahaz, who was carried away captive into Egypt, and partly to Jehoiakim, who succeeded him and was now upon the throne. The king and princes are exhorted to execute judgment, and are assured that, if they did so, the royal family should flourish, but otherwise it should be ruined (v. 1-9). Jehoahaz, called here Shallum, is lamented (v. 10-12). Jehoiakim is reproved and threatened (v. 13-19).
II. Another message sent them in the reign of Jehoiachin (alias, Jeconiah) the son of Jehoiakim. He is charged with an obstinate refusal to hear, and is threatened with destruction, and it is foretold that in him Solomon's house should fail (v. 20-30).

Notes from Jeremiah 21

It is plain that the prophecies of this book are not placed here in the same order in which they were preached; for there are chapters after this which concern Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jeconiah, who all reigned before Zedekiah, in whose reign the prophecy of this chapter bears date. Here is,

I. The message which Zedekiah sent to the prophet, to desire him to enquire of the Lord for them (v. 1, 2).
II. The answer which Jeremiah, in God's name, sent to that message, in which,
1. He foretels the certain and inevitable ruin of the city, and the fruitlessness of their attempts for its preservation (v. 3-7).
2. He advises the people to make the best of bad, by going over to the king of Babylon (v. 8-10).
3. He advises the king and his family to repent and reform (v. 11, 12), and not to trust to the strength of their city and grow secure (v. 13, 14).

Notes from Jeremiah 20

Such plain dealing as Jeremiah used in the foregoing chapter, one might easily foresee, if it did not convince and humble men, would provoke and exasperate them; and so it did; for here we find,

I. Jeremiah persecuted by Pashur for preaching that sermon (v. 1, 2).
II. Pashur threatened for so doing, and the word which Jeremiah had preached confirmed (v. 3-6).
III. Jeremiah complaining to God concerning it, and the other instances of hard measure that he had since he began to be a prophet, and the grievous temptations he had struggled with (v. 7-10), encouraging himself in God, lodging his appeal with him, not doubting but that he shall yet praise him, by which it appears that he had much grace (v. 11-13) and yet peevishly cursing the day of his birth (v. 14-18), by which it appears that he had sad remainders of corruption in him too, and was a man subject to like passions as we are.

Notes from Jeremiah 19

The same melancholy theme is the subject of this chapter that was of those foregoing-the approaching ruin of Judah and Jerusalem for their sins. This Jeremiah had often foretold; here he has particularly full orders to foretel it again.

I. He must set their sins in order before them, as he had often done, especially their idolatry (v. 4, 5).
II. He must describe the particular judgments which were now coming apace upon them for these sins (v. 6-9).
III. He must do this in the valley of Tophet, with great solemnity, and for some particular reasons (v. 2, 3).
IV. He must summon a company of the elders together to be witnesses of this (v. 1).
V. He must confirm this, and endeavour to affect his hearers with it, by a sign, which was the breaking of an earthen bottle, signifying that they should be dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel (v. 10-13).
VI. When he had done this in the valley of Tophet he ratified it in the court of the temple (v. 14, 15).
Thus were all likely means tried to awaken this stupid senseless people to repentance, that their ruin might be prevented; but all in vain.

Notes from Jeremiah 18

In this chapter we have,

I. A general declaration of God's ways in dealing with nations and kingdoms, that he can easily do what he will with them, as easily as the potter can with the clay (v. 1-6), but that he certainly will do what is just and fair with them. If he threaten their ruin, yet upon their repentance he will return in mercy to them, and, when he is coming towards them in mercy, nothing but their sin will stop the progress of his favours (v. 7-10).
II. A particular demonstration of the folly of the men of Judah and Jerusalem in departing from their God to idols, and so bringing ruin upon themselves notwithstanding the fair warnings given them and God's kind intentions towards them (v. 11-17).
III. The prophet's complaint to God of the base ingratitude and unreasonable malice of his enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and his prayers against them (v. 18-23).

Notes from Jeremiah 17

In this chapter,

I. God convicts the Jews of the sin of idolatry by the notorious evidence of the fact, and condemns them to captivity for it (v. 1-4).
II. He shows them the folly of all their carnal confidences, which should stand them in no stead when God's time came to contend with them, and that this was one of the sins upon which his controversy with them was grounded (v. 5-11).
III. The prophet makes his appeal and address to God upon occasion of the malice of his enemies against him, committing himself to the divine protection, and begging of God to appear for him (v. 12-18).
IV. God, by the prophet, warns the people to keep holy the sabbath day, assuring them that, if they did, it should be the lengthening out of their tranquility, but that, if not, God would by some desolating judgment assert the honour of his sabbaths (v. 19-27).

Notes from Jeremiah 16

In this chapter,

I. The greatness of the calamity that was coming upon the Jewish nation is illustrated by prohibitions given to the prophet neither to set up a house of his own (v. 1-4) nor to go into the house of mourning (v. 5-7) nor into the house of feasting (v. 8, 9).
II. God is justified in these severe proceedings against them by an account of their great wickedness (v. 10-13).
III. An intimation is given of mercy in reserve (v. 14, 15).
IV. Some hopes are given that the punishment of the sin should prove the reformation of the sinners, and that they should return to God at length in a way of duty, and so be qualified for his returns to them in a way of favour (v. 16-21).

Notes from Jeremiah 15

When we left the prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, so pathetically poring out his prayers before God, we had reason to hope that in this chapter we should find God reconciled to the land and the prophet brought into a quiet composed frame; but, to our great surprise, we find it much otherwise as to both.

I. Notwithstanding the prophet's prayers, God here ratifies the sentence given against the people, and abandons them to ruin turning a deaf ear to all the intercessions made for them (v. 1-9).
II. The prophet himself, notwithstanding the satisfaction he had in communion with God, still finds himself uneasy and out of temper.
1. He complains to God of his continual struggle with his persecutors (v. 10).
2. God assures him that he shall be taken under special protection, though there was a general desolation coming upon the land (v. 11-14).
3. He appeals to God concerning his sincerity in the discharge of his prophetic office and thinks it hard that he should not have more of the comfort of it (v. 15-18).
4. Fresh security is given him that, upon condition he continue faithful, God will continue his care of him and his favour to him (v. 19-21). And thus, at length, we hope he regained the possession of his own soul.

Notes from Jeremiah 14

This chapter was penned upon occasion of a great drought, for want of rain. This judgment began in the latter end of Josiah's reign, but, as it should seem, continued in the beginning of Jehoiakim's: for less judgments are sent to give warning of greater coming, if not prevented by repentance. This calamity was mentioned several times before, but here, in this chapter, more fully. Here is,

I. A melancholy description of it (v. 1-6).
II. A prayer to God to put an end to this calamity and to return in mercy to their land (v. 7-9).
III. A severe threatening that God would proceed in his controversy, because they proceeded in their iniquity (v. 10-12).
IV. The prophet's excusing the people, by laying the blame on their false prophets; and the doom passed both on the deceivers and the deceived (v. 13-16).
V. Directions given to the prophet, instead of interceding for them, to lament them; but his continuing notwithstanding to intercede for them (v. 17-22).

Notes from Jeremiah 13

Still the prophet is attempting to awaken this secure and stubborn people to repentance, by the consideration of the judgments of God that were coming upon them. He is to tell them,

I. By the sign of a girdle spoiled that their pride should be stained (v. 1-11).
II. By the sign of bottles filled with wine that their counsels should be blasted (v. 12-14).
III. In consideration hereof he is to call them to repent and humble themselves (v. 15-21).
IV. He is to convince them that it is for their obstinacy and incorrigibleness that the judgments of God are so prolonged and brought to extremity (v. 22-27).

Notes from Jeremiah 12

In this chapter we have,

I. The prophet's humble complaint to God of the success that wicked people had in their wicked practices (v. 1, 2) and his appeal to God concerning his own integrity (v. 3), with a prayer that God would, for the sake of the public, bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end (v. 3, 4).
II. God's rebuke to the prophet for his uneasiness at his present troubles, bidding him prepare for greater (v. 5, 6).
III. A sad lamentation of the present deplorable state of the Israel of God (v. 7-13).
IV. An intimation of mercy to God's people, in a denunciation of wrath against their neighbours that helped forward their affliction, that they should be plucked out; but with a promise that if they would at last join themselves with the people of God they should come in sharers with them in their privileges (v. 14-17).