As we look at the ongoing tensions in our world between nations, what we discover is the story of national disputes over land territories. It is one of the core issues in the Middle East conflict. It is at the heart of the current Russian and Ukraine conflict, where one side advocates that they are trying to restore land that once belonged to them. It is at the heart of the expansionist designs by nations that have occurred repeatedly throughout the centuries. So, what does God have to say about this issue and how does it apply to us? We can quickly say that when nations become aggressive, either militarily or economically, people’s lives are deeply impacted and often forfeit the lifestyle they once knew.
In Paul’s message to the Athenians on Mars Hill, he stated a powerful and all sweeping understanding of the Sovereignty of God over the nations, their appointed times in history, as well as their boundaries that He had decreed for them.
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.[i]
So, what was God’s intention in creating boundaries?
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.[ii]
God’s intention is that we would seek Him for the source of our subsistence and not enter into conflict with other nations except to defend ourselves from conquest. What we are about to discover in Jeremiah 49 is God’s message to the nations between the geographical expanse between Babylon and Egypt in dealing with their abuse of this principle.
All these nations were about or were receiving or experiencing God’s message of impending judgment. Yet, even in the message of judgment we also see words of hope and restoration. As we briefly examine these nations, we discover their strengths, but also their glaring weakness of self-reliance which ultimately leads to their demise. So, what things lead to the destruction of nations? Here in this chapter, we can summarize God’s judgment and expressions of grace around three themes.
THE FIRST THEME OF GOD’S JUDGMENT OF A NATION IS THEIR SEIZURE OF WHAT BELONGS TO ANOTHER NATION
We need to remember that it is God who ‘appoints times’ and ‘establishes boundaries.’ When nations violate or take advantage of other nations, they are accountable to God. This is certainly the message that God spoke through Jeremiah to the Ammonites.
A. The first charge against Ammon.
Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the Lord says: ‘Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?’[iii]
What has happened here? The Ammonites during the exile of the northern kingdom of Israel assumed possession of the land allotted by God to Israel. The question is framed as a metaphor of inheritance, “has Israel no sons or heirs?” Molek is the god of the Ammonites, and the land was in possession of the tribe of Gad.
The indictment thus is that Ammon has wrongly seized Israelite territory and disregarded Israel’s legitimate claim as heir of the land. Ammon has taken what is not rightly his.[iv]
B. The sentence upon Ammon’s actions.
God now declares war on Ammon. The last thing in the world we want to be found doing is fighting against God, for we know that the outcome is certain. It will not go well for a people who find themselves doing that. We know that if God be for us, who can be against us? But equally true is that if God be against us, who can be for us that will be able to help us?
But the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,’ says the Lord. ‘Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.[v]
God is promising restoration of the land back to Israel, for God is about to exile Ammon from not only the land they have seized, but also from their own homeland. God is basically telling them that they will be in a state of mourning and grief. That is what it means to put on a sackcloth. It is a sign of mourning. What are they to mourn over? Not just their losses, but the underlying reasons for them.
C. The second charge against Ammon.
The second issue that brought about God’s judgment upon Ammon was her self-sufficiency and self-reliance. They had a false sense of security. When we put our trust in that which is temporal and fleeting such as material things including military prowess, we are open to attack. God can easily bring us down. We are in the process of unraveling as a nation. We have put our trust in many things other than God, and as a result our resources are under siege. What is fascinating to watch is how we blame others for this disaster, but rarely do we see that our sins of rebellion against God and our many other sins are the underlying reason for what is happening. This is pointed out to Ammon.
Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, “Who will attack me?” I will bring terror on you from all those around you,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. ‘Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives.[vi]
D. A word of future hope.
‘Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,’ declares the Lord.[vii]
God is promising restoration. Only God can restore what sin has brought about, which has created devastating losses. God not only brings about judgment, but He is the One who saves and restores nations. Yes, God uses people, but our hope ought not to be in people, but in God’s grace.
THE SECOND THEME OF GOD’S JUDGMENT OF A NATION IS THE TERROR THEY CAUSED OTHERS INSPIRED BY THEIR PRIDE
When nations are filled with pride and decide to inflict injury on other nations, they can expect that God will deal with that sin by casting them down.
God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.[viii]
God’s attention now turns to Edom which in the past was noted for its wisdom. It is regarding this past tradition that God challenges them to consider where they formerly were. They were prudent, but now they have strayed and become haughty and proud, as we are about to see, and God’s judgment will be very severe.
A. To those who know better, the punishment is always more severe.
Concerning Edom: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him. If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say,[ix]
God is saying that it is a time to flee for the conflict ahead is an expression of judgment by God and they will not succeed. The analogy of grape pickers was part of a social welfare plan to leave the gleanings for the poor, but God here states that He will totally pick that nation clean.
B. God’s compassion to the humble.
Yet, having stated that, we have this note of compassion from God
‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.’ ”[x]
In such a war-devastated society, there will inevitably be orphans and widows, without resources or protection. They are predictable products of war. These, however, unlike the subjects of vv. 7-10, will be safe with Yahweh. They are invited to trust Yahweh, and Yahweh will give them life.[xi]
This contrasts with the rest of society which will be completely devastated. How should we handle the judgments upon our land? We should turn our hearts to God in humility and deep dependency, crying out to God for mercy.
C. The inevitability of God’s judgment.
This is what the Lord says: ‘If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. I swear by myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.’[xii]
The cup here is the cup of judgment. It is to this cup that Jesus drank on our behalf so that we would not have to drink of God’s judgment.
D. God’s charge against Edom’s terror and pride.
I have heard a message from the Lord; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, ‘Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!’ ‘Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind. The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,’ declares the Lord. ‘Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds.[xiii]
Here we see that God has rallied the nations in an alliance to fight against Edom. Edom, who had trusted in their mountainous terrain which could be easily defended, would now be conquered. Three powerful metaphors are used to describe the nature of this judgment.
1. It will have a total impact upon the nation. Just like Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed completely, so God will destroy Edom.
As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,’ says the Lord, ‘so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it.[xiv]
2. The second is the picture of a lion attacking a flock of sheep. Shepherds were an image of political leadership in the Old Testament. No human leader would be able to protect Edom from God’s intentions.
‘Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?’ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.[xv]
3. The third image is that of an eagle about to capture its prey.
Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.[xvi]
The nation that caused terror for others is not terrorized and totally devastated and destroyed.
THE FINAL THEME OF GOD’S JUDGMENT OF A NATION IS THE EVENTUALITY OF THAT JUDGMENT
The issue is not if judgment comes, but when it comes. The fact that God is longsuffering and does not always judge immediately, does not mean that judgment will not come. Both Peter and Paul spoke of the judgment to come. To Felix the Roman Governor, Paul spoke to him about the Christian faith.
Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’[xvii]
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.[xviii]
The idea here is that everything will be disclosed or manifested. In other words, everything will be evaluated by God, and then Peter goes on to say that this should motivate us to live holy lives and be the right kind of people.
So, as we look at the following nations, we discover that there is no clear charge in our text to determine the reason for the judgment. However, we may gain some insight in the case of Syria, whose capital Damascus was a known opponent to Israel over the years. In the book of Amos, we discover this word of judgment over Damascus giving us a clear sense of their cruelty toward Israel and God’s sentence of judgment over that nation, and her capital city of Damascus.
This is what the LORD says: ‘For three sins of Damascus even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven [means wickedness] and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram [another name for Syria] will go into exile to Kir, says the LORD.’[xix]
A. A word of judgment to Damascus.
Concerning Damascus: ‘Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.’[xx]
Hamath and Arpad are part of this kingdom that has fallen. Distress and anxiety fill their hearts. To state that the soldiers are silent speaks of their deaths. Its walls have been consumed by fire. To give us a sense of God’s patience with nations, Amos prophesied about 150 years before Jeremiah’s words speaking of the destruction that has now come to Damascus. So, while people continue to sin, God’s long-suffering grace had been there allowing them time to repent, but all that occurred was a hardening of the heart and then judgment.
B. A word to Kedar and Hazor, two nomadic kingdoms.
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: ‘Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, “Terror on every side!” Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,’ declares the Lord. ‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,’ declares the Lord. ‘A nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger. Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side,’ declares the Lord. ‘Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it.’[xxi]
Who were these people?
The Kedar are one of the north Arabian tribal groups. The name appears in Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian texts suggesting that this was a particularly powerful group.[xxii]
Here we have a description of these people. They were a nation that were at ease and lived in confidence. They had no boundaries to protect. They felt secure because they thought that they were far removed from any foreign domination, but it did not stop Nebuchadnezzar from attacking them and plundering their wealth while scattering them to distant places.
C. The final nation mentioned here in this chapter is Elam.
This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go. I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,’ declares the Lord.[xxiii]
Here is another nation that Babylon conquered and took into captivity and exile. They too looked to their military prowess and abilities to keep them from defeat, but they also fell under God’s judgment. Yet, we have that final word of restoration, where God promises to restore them in days to come.
The question that begs to be asked is, why does God restore some and not others?
He was reminded of the two thieves who were crucified on Calvary, one on either side of Christ. They were both sinners. They both hurled insults at Jesus (Matthew 27:44). They were both enemies of the cross of Christ. They were both destined for destruction. Yet one of the robbers received the grace of God. As he hung on the cross, he was convicted of his sin. ‘We are punished justly,’ he said, for we are getting what our deeds deserve’ (Luke 23:41a). He confessed that Jesus Christ is the sinless one: ‘This man has done nothing wrong’ (v. 41b). And then he asked for the free gift of eternal life: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’ (v. 42). And Jesus gave the man the grace he prayed for.
Here is the mystery: Why did Jesus save one thief and not the other? Kidner quotes an old saying: ‘One was saved, that none might despair; yet only one, that none might presume.’ God’s promise of grace for Elam teaches us not to despair. There is grace enough for God’s enemies. At the same time, God’s judgment against Edom, Damascus, Kedar, and Hazor is a warning not to presume upon God’s grace. There is no hope for anyone who trusts anything except the mercy that God has shown in Jesus Christ.[xxiv]
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[i] Acts 17:26, The New International Version of the Bible, Zondervan, 2011.
[ii] Acts 17:27-28a.
[iii] Jeremiah 49:1.
[iv] Walter Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998), 454.
[v] Jeremiah 49:2-3.
[vi] Jeremiah 49:4-5.
[vii] Jeremiah 49:6.
[viii] James 4:6b, 7a, 10.
[ix] Jeremiah 49:7-10.
[x] Jeremiah 49:11.
[xi] Walter Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming, 457.
[xii] Jeremiah 49:12-13.
[xiii] Jeremiah 49:14-17.
[xiv] Jeremiah 49:18.
[xv] Jeremiah 49:19-21.
[xvi] Jeremiah 49:22.
[xvii] Acts 24:24-25.
[xviii] 2 Peter 3:10.
[xix] Amos 1:3-5.
[xx] Jeremiah 49:23-27.
[xxi] Jeremiah 49:28-33.
[xxii] Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., Je 49:28, InterVarsity Press, 2000).
[xxiii] Jeremiah 49:34-39.
[xxiv] Derek Kidner, The Message of Jeremiah: Against Wind and Tide, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1987), 143 as quoted by Philip Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, (Wheaton, Il: Crossway Books, 2016), 685.
