Nations Who Experience God’s Wrath Will Fall
June 10, 2021
Commentary
Jeremiah had a vision of the Lord holding in His hand a cup. The cup was filled with God’s wrath. Judah was not the only nation to experience God’s wrath (vv. 15-18). Jeremiah lists the other wicked nations who would experience God’s judgment at the hand of Babylon (vv. 19-26). The first ones to experience the cup of God’s wrath were Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. However other surrounding nations soon followed. These included Egypt (who encouraged Judah to rebel), Uz (located east of Edom), the Philistines (west of Judah on the Mediterranean), Edom, Moab and Ammon (east of Judah on the other side of the Jordan River), Tyre and Sidon (north of Judah on the Mediterranean coast and Dedan, Tema and Buz (cities in the Northern part of Arabia). Most scholars believe that Shesbach is a code word for Babylon who was eventually destroyed because of its sin.
The nations who drink from the cup of God’s wrath will fall (vv. 27-29). Like a man who has become drunk, they will vomit and fall. However, their collapse will be caused by the sword rather than by strong drink. Some nations might try to refuse judgment, but God will make them partake of it. If God brings disaster on his own city because of its sin, how could these heathen nations ever hope to go unpunished? An interesting observation is that there is no explicit reference to the sin of the nations; only a description of their judgment. That sin, although not stated, was idolatry.
Application
It is true that God has blessed our country but we will not be able to continue our sin and not experience God’s wrath. Lord, help me to be more concerned and praying for our county (Jer. 33:3).
Jeremiah 25:13– 29 (NET)
13 I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation too. I will repay them for all they have done.’”
15 So the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision: “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath. Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.”
17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand. I made all the nations to whom he sent me drink the wine of his wrath. 18 I made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. Such is already becoming the case! 19 I made all these other people drink it: Pharaoh, king of Egypt; his attendants, his officials, his people, 20 the foreigners living in Egypt; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines, the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod; 21 all the people of Edom, Moab, Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon; all the kings of the coastlands along the sea; 23 the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples; 24 all the kings of Arabia who live in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri; all the kings of Elam; all the kings of Media; 26 all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms that are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the Lord’s wrath, the king of Babylon must drink it.
27 Then the Lord said to me, “Tell them that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Drink this cup until you get drunk and vomit. Drink until you fall down and can’t get up. For I will send wars sweeping through you.’ 28 If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, tell them that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘You most certainly must drink it! 29 For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own. So how can you possibly avoid being punished? You will not go unpunished. For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, affirm it!’