Bell's Commentary on the Bible

Intro, Chapter 21:
1. Remember Jeremiah is writing prophecy not a chronicle. The following chapters leap back & forth.
2. One commentator titled this “What will happen when the wood is dry?”
3. Outline: We have 3 messages here: 1^st to the King; 2^nd to the People; 3^rd to the kings of Judah.
1^st MESSAGE! To King Zedekiah! (1-7)
1. He is the last King of Judah.
2. Vs.2 – Why don’t we just ask God for 2+2 to = 5? All that God does must be for the best.
3. He rebelled against Babylon & ended up being captured & seeing his son slain.
4. Jeremiah told him, Babylon isn’t fighting against you,…God is!
5. He wasn’t a man of faith…but wanted God’s help!
  1. He believed in praying to the “Get-me-out-of-trouble-God”!
  2. People ignore the Lord till they’re desperate for help, & then they discover He is their enemy!
    1. Yes, if it is done w/a sincere heart, He hears them.
    2. This is speaking of those who are just investing in quick “Fire” insurance)
  3. It is vain to seek His help, w/o submitting to his will!
2^ND MESSAGE! To the People!(8-10)
1. He gives them the choice between life & death.
2. Vs.10 – The heart of the chapter!
3. Look at this salvationally!
3^RD MESSAGE! To the Kings of Judah!(11-14)
1. Josiah was the last good king.
  1. The 4 after him were evil men whose doom Jeremiah announces.
2. Had the kings led the nation in repentance, God would have shown mercy, but they persisted in their sins.
3. Vs.13 – Those that oppose themselves to God, will ultimately find God opposed to them!
  1. Mt. 21:44 “"And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
4. Jeremiah wasn’t a “popular” Prophet, but a “faithful” one!
  1. Those who heeded his message lived…resisted…died!

Jeremiah 21

Verses 1–14