11:1 The Lord said to Jeremiah:
This teaching was not Jeremiah’s own opinion or human speculation.
11:2 “Hear the terms of the covenant I made with Israel and pass them on to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.
The Book of Deuteronomy had been lost for generations. It was found once again during King Josiah’s reformation. King Josiah tore his robe in horror when the book was read to him. He realized that Judah was under severe judgment.
The Book of Deuteronomy was a standard covenant system between kings and vassals. Judah the vassal had broken the covenant with their King, meaning they were about to be judged.
11:3 Tell them that the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Anyone who does not keep the terms of the covenant will be under a curse.
If Judah does not keep the terms of this vassal-king covenant, then they will be cursed.
11:4 Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors to keep when I brought them out of Egypt, that place which was like an iron-smelting furnace. I said at that time, “Obey me and carry out the terms of the agreement exactly as I commanded you. If you do, you will be my people and I will be your God.
Israel was also to keep the Mosaic Covenant which was given to them at Mount Sinai. If they obeyed it, then God would bless them and protect them.
11:5 Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.” That is the very land that you still live in today.’ ” And I responded, “Amen! Let it be so, Lord!”
At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel promised Jehovah that they would keep the Mosaic Covenant.
11:6 The Lord said to me, “Announce all the following words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of my covenant with you and carry them out!
Jeremiah was to announce the words of Jehovah to the different towns of Judah.
11:7 For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. I warned them again and again, ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.
The prophets continually reminded the people of Israel to obey the covenants.
11:8 But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me! Each one of them followed the stubborn inclinations of his own wicked heart. So I brought on them all the punishments threatened in the covenant because they did not carry out its terms as I commanded them to do.’ ”
The fathers refused to listen to the prophets. They followed the wicked inclinations of their heart. The heart is the intellect of man. The heart is desperately wicked.
11:9 The Lord said to me, “The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have plotted rebellion against me!
There was a present conspiracy against Jehovah.
11:10 They have gone back to the evil ways of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.
The sons repeated the sins of their fathers.
11:11 So I, the Lord, say this: ‘I will soon bring disaster on them which they will not be able to escape! When they cry out to me for help, I will not listen to them.
Judgment will be sent to Judah. Judah will cry out for help, but Jehovah will not listen to their cries.
11:12 Then those living in the towns of Judah and in Jerusalem will go and cry out for help to the gods to whom they have been sacrificing. However, those gods will by no means be able to save them when disaster strikes them.
Jehovah gave the reason that He will not listen to their cries. Jehovah wants the people of Judah to ask for help from their pagan gods. However, these pagan gods will be powerless to help them. Judah will learn that these idols or not real gods at all.
11:13 This is in spite of the fact that the people of Judah have as many gods as they have towns and the citizens of Jerusalem have set up as many altars to sacrifice to that disgusting god, Baal, as they have streets in the city!’
Judah has as many pagan gods as they have cities. They also worshiped Baal. The “disgusting god” was a slang word for Baal.
11:14 So, Jeremiah, do not pray for these people. Do not cry out to me or petition me on their behalf. Do not plead with me to save them. For I will not listen to them when they call out to me for help when disaster strikes them.”
Jeremiah was commanded not to pray for these people, because God would not answer. He will allow Judah to experience the futility of idolatry.
It is interesting to note that their are many Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic nations who will not allow the gospel into their national borders. However, they will accept food and provisions from Christian charities. It would be better if the Christian charities used their resources to feed their own people in their own local congregation. The Hindu, Buddhists, and Muslims can pray to their own gods and see if their needs will be met. Christian charities should never feed their enemies of the satanic world system. They will use the food and energy to spread false doctrine. God has promised to provide food, shelter, and clothing to His own children, unless He has called them to wear the martyr's crown. Many of the socialistic principles of Christian charities are actually feeding the devil's people to work against them.
11:15 The Lord says to the people of Judah, “What right do you have to be in my temple, my beloved people? Many of you have done wicked things. Can your acts of treachery be so easily canceled by sacred offerings that you take joy in doing evil even while you make them?
Israel the wife had perverted the marriage contract. An adulterous wife has no business in Jehovah’s house.
11:16 I, the Lord, once called you a thriving olive tree, one that produced beautiful fruit. But I will set you on fire, fire that will blaze with a mighty roar. Then all your branches will be good for nothing.
Israel was once planted as a young and beautiful olive tree, but she produced no fruit. Therefore, God was going to cut down the tree and burn it. Paul used the illustration of the olive tree from the teachings of this chapter.
11:17 For though I, the Lord who rules over all, planted you in the land, I now decree that disaster will come on you because the nations of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal.”
God planted Israel in the land of Canaan as a beautiful olive tree. However, Israel and Judah both chose Baal over Jehovah. Therefore, disaster will come upon both houses. Israel had already been judged and taken captive by Assyria. Judah was about to be taken captive by Babylon.
11:18 The Lord gave me knowledge, that I might have understanding. Then he showed me what the people were doing.
The people were conspiring against Jeremiah, but he knew nothing about it.
11:19 Before this I had been like a docile lamb ready to be led to the slaughter. I did not know they were making plans to kill me. I did not know they were saying, “Let’s destroy the tree along with its fruit! Let’s remove Jeremiah from the world of the living so people will not even be reminded of him any more.”
The people of Judah did not like Jeremiah’s message. Therefore, they were conspiring to assassinate him. If a pastor-teacher does not tickle the ears of the congregation, then the people will leave him and attend a more shallow-teaching church.
11:20 So I said to the Lord, “O Lord who rules over all, you are a just judge! You examine people’s hearts and minds. I want to see you pay them back for what they have done because I trust you to vindicate my cause.”
Jeremiah did not want to seek revenge himself. He asked God to avenge him. “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.” God can handle these situations much better than humans. If a believer attempts to avenge himself, then he may get caught in the middle of God’s judgment.
11:21 Then the Lord told me about some men from Anathoth who were threatening to kill me. They had threatened, “Stop prophesying in the name of the Lord or we will kill you!”
Anathoth was Jeremiah’s home town. They threatened Jeremiah and told him not to prophesy about the future anymore. They did not want to hear the truth, especially when it dealt with judgment of their sin.
11:22 So the Lord who rules over all said, “I will surely punish them! Their young men will be killed in battle. Their sons and daughters will die of starvation.
The conspirators in Anathoth will be punished by either famine or sword.
11:23 Not one of them will survive. I will bring disaster on those men from Anathoth who threatened you. A day of reckoning is coming for them.”
Every conspirator will be executed by Jehovah Himself.