How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street. The precious sons of Zion, valuable as fine gold, how they are regarded as clay pots, the work of the hands of the potter! (v1,2)
The sons of Zion are described as precious as fine gold but now has become dim. The best of them had been taken and only the least left behind. Those lost to Babylon would be regarded as clay pots.
“Even the jackals present their breasts to nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the infant clings to the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread,
but no one breaks it for them. Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace ash heaps.” (v3-5)
Jeremiah lamented the cruelty of those exiled and those remaining. They seemed worse than jackals, who, at least feed their young, and more like ostriches in the wilderness, who were thought to be cruel to their young. Even so, the young children of Judah ask for bread, but no one breaks it for them. Young children begging for food is a distressing picture. Even those who were used to having plenty had been brought low, from scarlet to the ash heap. Judgment showed no favourites or exceptions.
The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom,
Which was overthrown in a moment, with no hand to help her! (v6)
We have an astounding admission by Jeremiah that the sin of Jerusalem was worse than the sin of Sodom (see Ezekiel 16:48,49). Consequently, her punishment would also be greater. Sodom was destroyed in a moment while its inhabitants were healthy, but Jerusalem’s punishment was lingering, partly by sword and partly by famine.
“Her Nazirites were brighter than snow and whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, like sapphire in their appearance. Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognised in the streets;
Their skin clings to their bones, it has become as dry as wood. Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. The hands of the compassionate women
have cooked their own children; They became food for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (v7-10)
Nazirites were those who had taken a vow (Numbers 6) of commitment to God, but the reference here is not to those but to the leaders or notable, honourable people. They were whiter than snow but now blacker than soot. They are unrecognisable in the streets, probably because of famine, their skin clinging to their bones, everyone was physically exhausted and their skin dry as wood.
Those who had been killed by the sword were better off than those who died of hunger. Death had come slowly unlike Sodom. This was a lingering death, so bad that women had cooked their own children for food.
“The LORD has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured its foundations. The kings of the earth, and all inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem— because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in her midst the blood of the just.” (v11-13)
It was hard to believe that Jerusalem and Judah had been dealt so badly by God, but it was well deserved because they had rebelled against the God who had established them. God had warned them of the consequences, but they ignored Him. The devastation was so great that the kings of the earth would not have believed that they had become so helpless. Way back in Deuteronomy 4:7 we read that their enemies had observed, “For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? But not so now, they were helpless and totally vulnerable. God’s fury had been unleashed upon them. Their doom was because of the sins of their spiritual leaders who had got rid of the prophets and the people of God. ‘They shed in her midst the blood of the just’. The very people (prophets and priests) who should have been doing right and setting an example were responsible for such evil. (see Ezekiel 22:1-12). Little wonder God’s anger was evident.
“They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, so that no one would touch their garments. They cried out to them, “Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered, those among the nations said, “They shall no longer dwell here.” The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests nor show favor to the elders. Still our eyes failed us, watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched for a nation that could not save us.” (v14-17).
Jeremiah is picturing the people wandering aimlessly, as if they were blind, in the streets, stepping on dead bodies and thus defiling themselves, as they were not to touch dead bodies. God had scattered His people, and they were not welcome anywhere. The priests and the elders were not respected which is little wonder since they had not done their duty. Judah had been putting their trust in Egypt, a false nation which could not help them. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel had said that the people had put their false hope that Egypt would rescue them. They had been watching vainly for help, but their help had not come.
They were pursued by their enemies who tracked their steps so that they could not walk in the streets safely, and they feared for their lives. Wherever they went they were in danger
“They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, for our end had come. Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was caught in their pits, of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” (v18-20)
Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonians would come and conquer them, they feared that it was now coming to pass. There is a reference to king Zedekiah who was a weak individual who condoned religious corruption and had ignored the counsel of Jeremiah. They had thought that Zedekiah would save them and that is the reference to “under his shadow ….” They were disappointed because he had tried to escape but was also captured (Jeremiah 52).
“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you and you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins! (v21,22).
Jeremiah speaks here to Edom. In the book of Obadiah, we read that because of their attitude towards Israel and Judah, God he said that He would judge Edom. Jeremiah says, somewhat sarcastically, that Edom should rejoice in what had happened to Judah and Obadiah had said what happened –
“But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress.” (v12) confirms what we read in Psalm 137, that they gloated and rejoiced when their brother was taken into captivity; they spoke proudly, they entered the gate of the city and plundered it. It did not end there – “You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction …. Nor laid hands on their substance….” they took advantage of their calamity (v13); and they even cut off the escape of any who tried to avoid being captured and delivered up those who remained “You should not have stood at the cross-roads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress.” (Obadiah).
Obadiah shows what they did to help the Babylonians, and God says that the sins of Edom will be punished.
Three years later Nebuchadnezzar conquered Edom (583BC). However, unlike Israel, who will be spared a remnant, Edom would not. God pronounced the deliverance and restoration of Israel.
He speaks also to the land of Uz. One commentator states, “Whether or not this territory is identical with that regarded as the homeland of Job is unknown. Since, however, Uz seems to have been consistently accessible both to Sabaean Bedouin from Arabia and Chaldean invaders from Mesopotamia (Job 1:15, 17), it would appear to have been located in the general area of Edom.”
