< Jeremiah 16 >

The statement: “The word of the LORD came unto me” v.1Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:1 occurs repeatedly throughout this book, showing that the message was not Jeremiah’s but God’s. The prophets sometimes had, not only to speak the word of God, but also to act in ways, often distressing, to depict in action what God would do. Jeremiah was commanded not to marry and have children v.2,Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:2 to emphasise his dire warning as to what would happen to women and children when the Babylonians destroyed their kingdom and Jerusalem.vs.4-9Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:4-9 Naturally, upon hearing his message, they would ask why such calamities were coming upon them,v.10Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:10 and he told them the reason. It was because of their long history of continual wickedness v.11Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:11 and because they themselves were worse than their ancestors. v.12Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:12 They made the common mistake of acting according to the imagination of their own hearts v.12Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:12 instead of listening to the word of God, and the consequence was that they were expelled from the promised land.v.13Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:13

The ultimate purpose of God is that the people of Israel, his people, will live in his land under the righteous government of Christ, his Son. Therefore, the LORD spoke of that future time when Israel would be gathered out of all nations. The ten tribes had been removed from the land by the Assyrians, and the two tribes were about to be taken away by the Babylonians. A few would later return, but God declared that one day he would gather all Israel out of all nations and bring them back to his land. vs.14-15Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:14-15

The return of the Jews to the promised land is a first principle of the true faith of Christians, but few today believe it or are looking forward to the return of Jesus to sit on his throne of glory in Jerusalem and to reign over Israel. Millions have been led away from the truth by false doctrines and the denial of God’s word, but the time will come when they will acknowledge they have believed lies.v.19Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:19 It is much wiser not to wait for this before learning the truth from God’s word for, by belief and obedience, we can secure for ourselves places with Christ in his kingdom when God will prove his existence by demonstrations of great power: “Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD”. v.21Waiting for response for Jeremiah 16:21