Bible Commentaries

CONTENTS

From bad to worse, the history is prosecuted concerning the conduct of the people, Jeremiah continues preaching until their passions are excited, and he is cast into the dungeon. The Lord stirreth up a stranger to intercede for his life with the king. He is taken from the pit; but still preacheth of ruin.

I again and again detain the Reader to remark the faithfulness of Jeremiah. Never surely was there a more conscientious preacher. Let the Reader connect this view of Jeremiah with his ordination, and then look up and bless God for making him faithful. Jer 1 throughout.

What an awful character was Zedekiah! Surely he had strong convictions of the truth, but like another Felix, though he trembled under the word, yet he consents to execute the preacher. Acts 24:25.

See how the Lord raiseth instruments, from the most unexpected quarters, for the deliverance of his people. Here was a stranger, and a Gentile, prompted to fly to the rescue of one of the Lord's prophets, when all the people of the land were consenting to his death. Precious Lord Jesus! how can I read this without having my mind led instantly to thee, who coming to our whole nature, as the divine Samaritan, delivered us from thieves, when neither Priest nor Levite would look upon us with mercy.

This must have been a very interesting interview between the king and the Prophet; and it is impossible but to take concern in it, and to wish that Zedekiah had listened to the Prophet's advice. And as it seems nothing could have been more improbable than that success should have followed the measure, had the king adopted it. But the thing was of the Lord. Reader! do not fail to remark from it, how truly awful it must be, to be given up to a deluded mind.

The poor Prophet is hunted like the partridge upon the mountains. But though in the midst of foes, yet in no real danger. As he was before the siege, so through the whole of it; and so in the end. So the Lord had promised: and so he found. Jeremiah 1:18-19.

REFLECTIONS

READER! we peruse this portion of God's holy word to little purpose, if so be that we do not, under his divine teaching, gather from it the blessed instructions it holds forth. For what is it that we behold in the different characters then, but the same as we behold in the different characters now; that the Lord's children are conformed to his lovely image; and the children of the evil one to Satan their master. Their malice is against Christ and therefore it is manifested to his people. As then saith an Apostle, speaking of the days of old, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. And so it will go on, until time shall be no more. And then the Lord will come, and take out of his kingdom all things that offend. Blessed Lord Jesus! I would say both for myself and Reader; give us to know, and see clearly, the marks of our adoption character. Let our souls discover, that our spots are the spots of God's children. And then, like Paul, like Jeremiah, like all the faithful gone before, we shall be enabled to say, though bonds and imprisonment await us, yet none of these things will move us; neither shall we count our life dear to ourselves so that we finish our course with joy, and the calling we have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.