Tyndale Open Study NotesJeremiah 6

The invasion from the north, likely by the Babylonians in 605 BC, was approaching the kingdom of Judah. As the Lord's messenger, Jeremiah had the duty to warn the people so they could find shelter.

• Jeremiah’s parents lived in the Benjamin tribal area, a narrow strip of land running east to west a few miles north of Jerusalem. Amos lived in Tekoa, about twelve miles south of Jerusalem (Amos 1:1).

• Beth-hakkerem was about three miles south of Jerusalem, overlooking Bethlehem.

Jeremiah described the commanding officers of the invading army as shepherds leading their soldiers to camp around the city. The initial plan was to strike the city walls at noon, when the attackers could see their work. However, the people in the city were so weakened that a night attack was just as effective (see 2 Kings 25:1–4).

The Lord directed the Babylonians' attack. He told them to make battering rams to break through the walls and to build dirt ramps for easy access (Jeremiah 32:24).

Even at this late hour, the Lord accused the people to make them listen and return to him.

There was little time left for people to return to the one true God. The invasion survivors would be like leftover grapes on vines. God, the harvester, would find the survivors to ensure everyone in Israel faced this punishment.

Jeremiah, the messenger and prosecutor, used rhetorical questions to show his love for the people. He was shocked when they responded with scorn. After showing evidence of sins by all levels of society, the prophet delivered a divine decree. The use of future tense in his indictment suggests he spoke before the invasion.

The people could hear because their replies were full of scorn, but they did not take the Lord’s message seriously (see Acts 7:51).

Jeremiah felt the Lord's anger toward the people and could not hold back his emotions.

The people were so driven by greed that they sought profit through violence (see Proverbs 1:11–19; also Isaiah 56:11; Micah 3:5, 11). The religious leaders were dishonest; they did not act according to their roles.

The sinful behavior of God's people led to a serious problem that justified God's judgment. Instead of urging repentance, the religious leaders falsely promised peace (Jeremiah 23:17; Ezekiel 13:10).

The Lord urged the people to repent and warned them about the terrible consequences if they did not.

Following God's ancient laws (Malachi 4:4) would bring peace to people's souls (compare Matthew 11:29).

Prophets served as the Lord's watchmen (Jeremiah 25:4; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 3:17).

All the nations would know that disaster had come to the Lord’s people because they rejected his word (Jeremiah 19:3; Proverbs 1:31; Isaiah 1:2).

The Lord found the offerings of expensive frankincense and fragrant perfumes offensive because of the people's rebellion (Jeremiah 7:21–23; Exodus 30:23; Psalms 40:6; 50:7–9; Isaiah 1:11; 43:24; 66:3; Amos 5:21; Micah 6:6–7).

• The Lord reminded the people that the coming invasion was real. The soldiers had actual bows and spears (Isaiah 13:18).

• roars like the sea: The noise from thousands of soldiers with horses and chariots must have been terrifying (Isaiah 5:27–30).

This conversation between Jeremiah and the Lord likely occurred at the start of the Babylonian invasion in 605 BC. In these three poems, Jeremiah shares the Lord’s message (Jeremiah 6:22–23), connects with his people's fear, and urges them to repent quickly (6:24–26). He then receives a heartfelt message from the Lord (Jeremiah 6:27–30).

Jeremiah told the people to wear burlap and sit in ashes to show regret for their sins and ask for God's mercy (Isaiah 58:5; Amos 8:10; Jonah 3:6; Micah 1:10).

The Lord stopped Jeremiah's lament and reminded him of his mission. God compared the prophet to a silversmith working with raw ore. The refining process would show that the silver content was too small to be valuable.

Jeremiah's job as a prophet conflicted with his empathy for his people. Like a metalworker, he had to apply criticism to test their quality against God's standards.

The people's impurities were spiritual. They included rebelling against God, slandering others, being stubborn, and leading others into corruption (Ezekiel 22:18).

To reveal their evil, God increased the intensity of his judgment. However, no precious silver emerged; only the impurities of wickedness remained (Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3).

The people, like rejected silver, must be discarded (Isaiah 1:22).