Jeremiah Chapter 27

At a Glance

  • Jeremiah 27 opens with a concrete, symbolic act that reinforces the chapter’s central message: submission to God’s sovereignty over nations.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Jeremiah 27 sits amid the Babylonian crisis that defines late Judah’s era.
  • - Divine sovereignty over nations: God’s control over political powers and the moral order behind geopolitical events.
  • - The danger of false prophecy: warnings against those who promise political deliverance apart from obedience to God.

CHAPTER REFERENCE

Chapter Overview

Jeremiah 27 opens with a concrete, symbolic act that reinforces the chapter’s central message: submission to God’s sovereignty over nations. God instructs Jeremiah to make a set of yokes and to send them to several foreign kings, delivering a stern charge: all nations must bow to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, or face judgment. The prophetic oracle announces that Nebuchadnezzar is God’s servant in this season, a tool of divine discipline against stubborn pride and disobedience. Against this backdrop, God warns the people and their leaders not to listen to false prophets who promise victory or permanent autonomy through political cleverness. The result is a push-pull between acceptance of the notwendigen yoke and the temptation to resist with nationalist fantasies, dreams, or magical remedies. Jeremiah’s message is not anti-political but anti-idolatrous: fidelity to the Lord means aligning with the divine plan—even when it looks like defeat. The chapter’s drama heightens as leaders react in fear, calling on Jeremiah to reveal whether he is a true prophet or a troubler of the land. The overarching arc is a test of wisdom: will Judah accept divine restraint and humbly endure a period of exile under Babylon, or will they double down on misguided hope, risking even harsher judgment?

Historical & Literary Context

Jeremiah 27 sits amid the Babylonian crisis that defines late Judah’s era. The prophet speaks during Zedekiah’s reign, a time of political vulnerability as Babylon dominates the region. The literary form combines direct address with narrative action: an enacted symbol (the yoke) paired with oracles about submission, punishment, and exile. This chapter contributes to the book’s broader theme of learning obedience through exile. It also portrays the enduring tension between prophetic authority and royal power: civic leaders seek tangible assurances and military forecasts, while Jeremiah offers a theological interpretation of events. The “servant” language for Nebuchadnezzar signals a startling archaeological and theological claim: God can use even an infamous pagan king to accomplish divine purposes. The chapter is a hinge for the ensuing chapters that warn against seeking political shortcuts and highlight the danger of false security through dreams or divination.

Key Themes

- Divine sovereignty over nations: God’s control over political powers and the moral order behind geopolitical events.

- The danger of false prophecy: warnings against those who promise political deliverance apart from obedience to God.

- The yoke as symbol of obedience: submission to God’s plan, even when it entails hardship, is the proper posture for God’s people.

- Faith amid uncertainty: trust that God’s purposes will prevail, even without immediate national triumph.

- The critique of nationalism: genuine faithfulness transcends nationalistic fantasies and relies on allegiance to Yahweh.

Modern Application

In a world of power plays and shifting alliances, Jeremiah 27 challenges contemporary readers to assess where their ultimate allegiance lies. The chapter invites believers to recognize that political prowess is not the sole measure of security; fidelity to God’s purposes matters more. The yoke motif can translate into a posture of disciplined humility—accepting limits, resisting manipulation by those who claim divine backing for unjust ends, and seeking the welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). The warning against false prophets resonates in today’s climate of sensational predictions and “solutions” that bypass repentance and justice. Practically, the chapter calls for discernment: evaluate political rhetoric against the character of God; pray for those in power while resisting cynicism; and cultivate resilience by trusting God’s sovereignty over nations rather than ultimate comfort from national power.

- Jeremiah 28 (the contrast between true and false prophecy)

- 2 Kings 24-25 (the historical context of Babylon’s rise)

- Ezekiel 26-28 (the fate of proud powers)

- Isaiah 39 (ambassadors and signs concerning foreign policy)

Recommended Personas

- Daniel (for interpreting dreams and political realities with fidelity to God)

- Jeremiah (for insider’s perspective on prophetic authority amid political pressure)

- Paul (for theological reflection on God’s sovereignty in the midst of worldly powers)

- Jesus (for confronting expectations about political deliverance and the kingdom)

Chapter Text

1

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2

Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

3

And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

4

And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

5

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

6

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

7

And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

8

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

10

For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

11

But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12

I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13

Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14

Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

15

For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

16

Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

17

Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

18

But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

19

For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

20

Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

21

Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

22

They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

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