Tyndale Open Study NotesJeremiah 14

This chapter is a conversation between the Lord, Jeremiah, and the people. It began because a severe drought affected the land.

During a drought, no crops were sold in the markets at the Jerusalem gates. People could not store previous harvests for long, so starvation threatened them. Cisterns built to collect water dried up, and without rain, no water was available for drinking or cooking meals. As a result, a great cry rose from Jerusalem.

• Both people and animals suffered during the drought.

• The farmers covered their heads with rough burlap to show shame, humiliation, and mourning.

The people admitted their sins but did not change their bad behavior. They tried to trick God into helping them by doubting his love, wisdom, and power, while still claiming to be his chosen people.

The Lord's response to their selfish prayer addressed the main issue. Their wickedness had ruined their status as God's people, making their prayer pointless. God's judgment would continue.

For the third time (see Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14), God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Fasting would be pointless because the Lord had decided to ignore them. The priests' burnt and grain offerings, which the Lord had given Moses as a way to worship him (see Leviticus 1–2), would be wasted because the Lord would not accept them. Instead, the Lord would respond with war, famine, and disease.

the prophets: The government of Judah had a group of prophets who supported the king's religious views. The Lord often condemned these prophets, along with the officials and priests. Here, the Lord revealed them as impostors and described the consequences for them and the people they advised.

As he looked at Judah's state, God clearly showed his sadness through a short poem. The Lord does not enjoy the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11).

Even though the Lord commanded otherwise (Jeremiah 14:11), Jeremiah prayed for God to lessen the current disaster and the worse one ahead.

Worshiping other gods is pointless. Only the Creator of the universe can control nature.