24 To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. 27 Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? 28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, 32 therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the Lord, for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.’”
Jeremiah 29:24-32
+
The Lord Knows the False Shepherd
Jeremiah reminds us that not everyone who claims to speak for God truly does. Shemaiah presented himself as a spiritual authority, but he opposed the Lord’s Word and sought to silence God’s faithful prophet. Through Jeremiah, the Lord exposed the lie and declared judgment against the false teacher. God’s people are to listen to His revealed Word rather than the claims of those who speak from their own imagination. The same danger remains today. False teachers still promise what people want to hear while rejecting God’s truth. Yet Christ, the Good Shepherd, continues to gather and protect His flock through His Word. At the cross, Jesus bore the judgment our sins deserved, including the times we have listened to voices other than His. Through His death and resurrection, He forgives, restores, and leads us in the truth. Trust the voice of Christ. His Word never deceives, and His promises never fail.

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
15 “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ 16 thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 17 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the Lord, that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the Lord.’ 20 Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. 22 Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23 because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the Lord.’”
Jeremiah 29:10-23
+
The Lord Keeps His Promises
The people of Judah lived far from home in exile. To all appearances, God’s promises seemed forgotten. Yet through Jeremiah, the Lord declared that His appointed time would come. He had not abandoned His people. His plans were not for their destruction but for their restoration. Even in judgment, God remained faithful to His covenant. The same Lord remains faithful today. Sin often brings painful consequences, and we may wonder whether God has forgotten us. Yet His promises do not depend on our circumstances. They rest on His steadfast mercy. The false prophets of Jeremiah’s day offered comforting lies, but God’s true Word spoke both Law and Gospel. He exposed sin while also promising deliverance. That deliverance reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. On the cross, He bore the judgment our sins deserved. Through His death and resurrection, God has secured our future and given us peace with Him. Though we wait in faith, the Lord’s promises never fail. He hears our prayers, keeps His Word, and will bring His people safely home.

29 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:1-9
+
Seeking the Welfare of the City
Jeremiah’s letter came to people who were far from home. The exiles in Babylon longed for a quick return, but the Lord told them to settle down, build homes, raise families, and seek the welfare of the city where they lived. Though they were strangers in a foreign land, God had not abandoned them. He remained faithful to His promises even while His people endured the consequences of their sin. Christians today also live as exiles in a world that is not our true home. We are called to pray for our communities, serve our neighbors, and faithfully carry out our vocations. Yet our hope is not found in earthly prosperity or in those who promise easy answers. Our hope rests in Christ crucified. On the cross, He bore our sins and reconciled us to God. Through His death and resurrection, He secured our eternal homeland. Until that day, we live in faith, trusting His promises and seeking the good of those around us.

12 Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’ ” 15 And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.
Jeremiah 28:12-17
+
The Yoke That Cannot Be Broken
The Lord’s Word is not something to be reshaped by human wishes. In Jeremiah’s day, Hananiah proclaimed a message of peace and quick deliverance, but it was not the Word the Lord had spoken. God revealed that Hananiah had led the people to trust in a lie. The false prophet broke a wooden yoke as a sign, yet the Lord declared that an iron yoke would take its place. Human rebellion cannot overturn God’s judgment or His purposes. This text reminds us that false teaching often sounds comforting because it promises what sinners want to hear. Yet true comfort is found only in the Word God actually speaks. The Law exposes our sin and our attempts to create a god in our own image. But the Gospel reveals Christ crucified for sinners. On the cross, Jesus bore the yoke of our sin and the judgment we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, He gives forgiveness and life. Trust not in pleasant words, but in the sure Word of Christ, which never fails.

28 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.
Jeremiah 28:1-11
+
The Prophet of Peace
Jeremiah stood in a difficult place. The prophet Hananiah confidently promised peace, freedom, and a quick end to Judah’s troubles. His message sounded wonderful. Jeremiah even replied, “Amen!” Who would not want such good news? Yet the true test was not whether a message sounded pleasant but whether it came from the Lord. Prophets who proclaimed peace could only be proven true when their words actually came to pass. God’s people were not to trust comforting words simply because they were comforting. They were to trust the Lord’s Word. We face the same temptation. We often prefer promises of easy solutions, quick fixes, and earthly success. Yet God’s greatest work came not through an easy path but through the suffering and cross of Christ. There Jesus bore our sin and judgment, accomplishing the peace we truly need. False peace fades away, but the peace won by Christ’s cross endures forever. Trust His Word above every other voice.

12 To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. 13 Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 15 I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? 18 If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then let them intercede with the Lord of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the Lord. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
Jeremiah 27:12-22
+
Rescue from Death
In our sin, we would rather resist the Lord and remain in the agony of death. The Lord is love and his mercy overflows. Bring your necks under the reign and rule of the Lord's servants. Follow his Word and submit to his Law. By this Law we are crushed. We are laid waste. From the ashes and from the ditch, our Lord comes and lifts us out of our sin. He takes our sin upon him. He who knew no sin becomes sin for us that we might be saved. The Word is sent by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls you by the Gospel. He works faith when and where he wills. He works faith in you. He attaches you to Jesus and to his gifts by the preaching of his Word. Test the preaching that you hear by the Word of God. Trust in the Word of God and study and meditate on it. This Word of God endures forever and will never fade. This Word of God is your rock and your foundation. The Lord rescues you from the hand of all your enemies.

8 “‘“But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’”
Jeremiah 27:8-11
+
The Lord Sustains
The Lord prescribed King Nebuchadnezzar to rule over his people. The people of Israel were punished by an unlikely character. It was the Lord's doing. We don't always agree with the situations of our life or the people who have been placed in authority over us. The Lord sustains us. The Lord takes care of you. He has said that he will defend you against all danger and guard and protect you from all evil. He provides everything you need for this body and life. He sends his Holy Spirit to you. Not only does he give you what you need for your body, but he also sustains you in your spirit. This Spirit brings the gifts of Jesus' cross and resurrection. He applies them to you. We don't always agree with the way we are being disciplined and nurtured. God sustains us even as he purifies us.

27 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
Jeremiah 27:1-7
+
Into the Hands of Another
The earth belongs to the Lord and the fullness of the seas are his. He spoke these gifts into being and filled it by his speaking. He made you and knew you before he did it. Our sin flies in the face of his authority, but also his love and grace. He bids us turn from our sin, repent of our rebellion, and live in his grace and love. He disciplines and chides those who refuse. His anger can only be stilled by the blood of Jesus. We can only be safe in the righteousness of Jesus. You must be covered by Jesus. This is what God has done when you were Baptized. He has covered you in his righteousness and washed you in his Spirit. There you are protected. Going at it from any other way will result in discipline and chiding. Turn from your sins and cling to your Baptism. Put on Jesus and depend on his grace in all you do.

16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying,
18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts,
                        “‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”
20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, 23 and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.
Jeremiah 26:16-24
+
Entreat the Lord's Favor
The Holy Spirit calls us out of the darkness of our human depravity. He alone focuses us on the clear and saving Word of God. The Holy Spirit always uses means to accomplish what the Word has been sent to do. Just as the people of Nineveh did not retaliate against the prophet Jonah, but repented and turned from their sin, the Lord wishes that his people listen to the Word preached and turn from their sins. To repent requires one to have knowledge of sin (and feel the terror that it causes), but also faith to grasp ahold of the gifts of God. Repent! Turn from your sin and cling to the living God alone. Fix your eyes on Jesus' cross and lay all your sins there. By his stripes you are healed. Depend not on famous cities and do not let your feelings be hurt by a mirror that shows you all your sins. Turn from your sins and live. Cast your everything on Jesus and he will sustain you.

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
Jeremiah 26:1-15
+
Mend Your Ways
The human heart wants nothing to do with the Word of the Lord. Our flesh fights against the living God. We are born in open rebellion against God. It takes God himself to come and lay waste the buildings built on our sandy sinful hearts. He lays waste and then builds new. He builds on the rock that is his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. God takes the innocent blood of his Son, Jesus and uses it to pay for your release. The sinful flesh does not know what to do with this. It counts it foolishness and a stumbling block. So the message still comes to you and me. Repent of your sins. Amend your sinful ways. Fix your eyes on Jesus and meditate upon his Word alone. The Lord is merciful and mighty. He desires that you put aside your sin and your childish ways and come to him. Rest yourself in the grace of Jesus. He suffered and died for you and rose that you could live with him forever. Thanks be to God.

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”
Jeremiah 26:1-6
+
No Holding Back
The Lord sends Jeremiah into the thick of things. Jeremiah has a difficult sermon to preach, but God tells him that the people may repent. If they repent, he will relent. This is the way of the living God. He always shows his mercy and his love. He sends his message of repentance and reconciliation to you and me. His desire is that we all turn from our sins and live. This is the Lord's doing. He sent forth his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die that you would have life. He sent Jesus to suffer the cross that you would never be forsaken. His desire is that he relent and not destroy. His delight is to bind up and to restore and make new. He has made you new as his Word is preached in the thick of the things of your life. Difficult sermons are still being preached so that everyone might live. Thanks be to God for pastors who stand like Jeremiah and preach the Word in season and out of season to all kinds of ears.
 

33 “And those pierced by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground.
            34          “Wail, you shepherds, and cry out,
and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock,
                        for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come,
and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
            35          No refuge will remain for the shepherds,
nor escape for the lords of the flock.
            36          A voice—the cry of the shepherds,
and the wail of the lords of the flock!
                        For the Lord is laying waste their pasture,
            37          and the peaceful folds are devastated
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
            38          Like a lion he has left his lair,
for their land has become a waste
                        because of the sword of the oppressor,
and because of his fierce anger.”
Jeremiah 25:33-38
+
Like a Lion
There is only one response for sin and rebellion. Our open rebellion and the sin of our fathers causes great wrath. The Lord must punish. The shepherds were charged with keeping the Lord's sheep and they did not. In the face of all the world's enticing words and pleasures, the Lord's servants must remain faithful. The world's gifts are always fleeting. The pleasures of the human heart alway fade. The joy that the world gives breaks under the weight of sorrow and pain. Not so with the peace and joy that Jesus gives. He is faithful even when we are not. He rescues and saves in a most peculiar way. He takes our place under the heat of God's wrath. He takes our punishment and endures the edge of the sword. All this he does so that you would live with him. This is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. He picks it back up again and leads you to the best quiet water and the greenest pastures.

27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’
28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink! 29 For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’
30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:
                        “‘The Lord will roar from on high,
and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
                        he will roar mightily against his fold,
and shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
            31          The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against the nations;
                        he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the wicked he will put to the sword,
declares the Lord.’
            32          “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
                        Behold, disaster is going forth
from nation to nation,
                        and a great tempest is stirring
from the farthest parts of the earth!
Jeremiah 25:27-32
+
The Storm from the North
Jeremiah’s words are terrifying. The Lord announces judgment upon the nations because of their rebellion and sin. No one escapes by strength, status, or distance. The “storm” sweeping from the north is God’s righteous wrath against evil. This judgment reveals the seriousness of sin before a holy God. Humanity cannot stand on its own before the Lord’s justice. Yet even here, Christians see the shadow of the cross. The cup of wrath that the nations deserved is the cup Christ willingly drank for sinners. On Calvary, Jesus bore the judgment we earned. The storm of God’s wrath fell upon Him so that forgiveness and peace could be given to us. When the world trembles and consciences accuse, we flee not to ourselves but to Christ crucified. In Him, the Judge of all becomes our Savior. Through His cross, the fearful cup of wrath becomes instead the cup of salvation.

15 Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.”
17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, 20 and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines (Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); 21 Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Babylon shall drink.
Jeremiah 25:15-26
+
The Cup of Wrath and Mercy
Jeremiah’s vision of the cup is terrifying. The Lord hands the nations the wine of His wrath because of their rebellion and idolatry. No kingdom, no ruler, no people could escape His righteous judgment. This judgment showed the certainty of God’s Word: what He declared against sin would surely come to pass. The same remains true today. God does not ignore wickedness, unbelief, or the corruption of the human heart. Yet the cup of wrath in Jeremiah points us forward to another cup. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed about the cup His Father gave Him to drink. At the cross, Christ drank the full wrath of God against our sin. He bore the judgment we deserved so that forgiveness and mercy might be given to us instead. Because Christ has taken the cup of wrath, we now receive the cup of salvation in Him.

8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. 13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
Jeremiah 25:8-14
+
The Lord’s Word Stands Forever
Jeremiah spoke hard words to a stubborn people. Because Judah refused to hear the Lord’s prophets, judgment would come through Babylon. The people trusted in outward appearances and empty religion while despising the very Word that gave them life. Judah’s destruction was not random disaster but the Lord’s righteous judgment against persistent unbelief and idolatry. Yet even here, the Lord set limits to Babylon’s power and promised that evil would not reign forever. God still warns through His Word today. Sin carries consequences, and hearts hardened against repentance invite judgment. Yet the Lord’s purpose is not destruction alone but repentance and faith. At the cross, Christ bore the judgment we deserved. There the wrath of God against sin was poured out upon His own Son so that mercy might be given to sinners. In Christ, the Lord’s final Word to you is not condemnation, but forgiveness, life, and salvation.

25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. 4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
Jeremiah 25:1-7
+
The Lord Who Keeps Sending
Jeremiah preached during a time when Judah had grown comfortable in unbelief. The Lord had sent His prophets again and again, calling His people to repentance, yet they would not listen. They chased after false gods, trusted in themselves, and despised the Word of the Lord. Still, the Lord continued to send His messengers. That persistence reveals both His justice and His mercy. God desires not the destruction of sinners, but their repentance. We are no different by nature. We ignore God’s Word, cling to idols of comfort and pride, and refuse to hear correction. Yet the Lord still sends His Word to us through preaching, Scripture, and the Church. Above all, He sent His Son. Jesus bore the judgment our rebellion deserved when He went to the cross. There the wrath proclaimed by Jeremiah fell upon Christ instead of us. Through His death and resurrection, sinners are forgiven and restored. Today, hear His voice and do not harden your heart.

24 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. 3 And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 5 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
8 “But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”
Jeremiah 24:1-10
+
Baskets Before the Lord
Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs set before the temple. One basket held good figs; the other, rotten ones. The surprise is that the “good figs” were the exiles carried away to Babylon. Though their suffering was painful, the Lord was working for their good. He promised to watch over them, bring them back, and give them hearts to know Him. The rotten figs were those who trusted in appearances and remained secure in Jerusalem while rejecting the Lord’s Word. God’s discipline was not abandonment but mercy. The exile was a call to repentance and faith. So also the cross often enters our lives in ways we would never choose. Yet God works through suffering to drive us away from pride and into His promises. Christ Himself bore the exile of sin upon the cross. In Him, God gives you a new heart that knows the Lord and rests in His mercy forever.

33 “When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the Lord.’ 34 And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ I will punish that man and his household. 35 Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But ‘the burden of the Lord’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man’s own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have said these words, “The burden of the Lord,” when I sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ ” 39 therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40 And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”
Jeremiah 23:33-40
+
The Burden Removed
False prophets in Jeremiah’s day treated God’s Word like a joke. They tossed around the phrase “the burden of the LORD” as though His Word were something tiresome, heavy, or optional. But the Lord warns that those who twist His Word for their own purposes bring judgment upon themselves. God’s Word is not a plaything. It is living and active, speaking both Law and Gospel. The Law exposes our sin, especially when we despise or ignore what God has spoken. We, too, are tempted to reshape God’s Word into something easier for our ears. Yet Christ came to bear the true burden we could never carry. He carried the weight of our sin to the cross and endured God’s judgment in our place. Because of Jesus, the Word that convicts us also comforts us. In Christ, God does not cast you away. He forgives, restores, and speaks peace through His holy Word. Hear Him gladly, for His Word gives life.

23 “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. 25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-32
+
The God Who Is Near
False prophets in Jeremiah’s day claimed dreams and visions that did not come from the Lord. They spoke what itching ears wanted to hear instead of the hard truth of repentance and faith. Yet the Lord reminds His people that He is not a distant god who cannot see sin or judge wickedness. He is near. His Word is like fire and a hammer, breaking hardened hearts and exposing lies. We still face false teachers who replace God’s Word with human wisdom, feelings, or empty promises. But Christ does not leave His Church without truth. Through His preached Word, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and calls us to repentance. At the cross, the fire of God’s judgment fell upon Jesus for sinners. There the hammer of the Law crushed Him in our place so that forgiveness and life might be given to us. Therefore cling not to human dreams, but to Christ and His sure Word.

9 Concerning the prophets:
                        My heart is broken within me;
all my bones shake;
                        I am like a drunken man,
like a man overcome by wine,
                        because of the Lord
and because of his holy words.
            10          For the land is full of adulterers;
because of the curse the land mourns,
and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
                        Their course is evil,
and their might is not right.
            11          “Both prophet and priest are ungodly;
even in my house I have found their evil,
declares the Lord.
            12          Therefore their way shall be to them
like slippery paths in the darkness,
into which they shall be driven and fall,
                        for I will bring disaster upon them
in the year of their punishment,
declares the Lord.
            13          In the prophets of Samaria
I saw an unsavory thing:
                        they prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
            14          But in the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen a horrible thing:
                        they commit adultery and walk in lies;
they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his evil;
                        all of them have become like Sodom to me,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
            15          Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:
                        “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food
and give them poisoned water to drink,
                        for from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”
Jeremiah 23:9-15
+
Slippery Paths
The Lord will not have his prophets and teachers use anything else but his Holy Word to teach and lead his people. He has found that his prophets have departed from his Word. Their way is like a slippery path in the darkness. No good comes from a journey like that. False teaching, for prophets and for pastors, must be accounted for. The Church is his great jewel. He delights in the Christian. No attack upon the Church will go unchecked by the Lord God. "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. Every pastor must give an account. How is this safeguarded? How is it prevented? The pastor must depend on the Word of God alone. Forsaking all others and any other gods, he must throw his whole self in the Scriptures. He must push away reason and selfishness and meditate and pray on the Bible. And what of you, O Christian? You must insist that your pastor give you Jesus. You must insist that he study and meditate on the Word of God. You must do the same to check his work. These are all gifts to you. The Holy Spirit is the one that calls you by the Gospel and enlightens you with the gifts of heaven. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and keeps you in the true faith with the Word accompanying him everywhere he goes. There, in the Word of God and in his holy Sacraments, Jesus if with us and for us. This is what God provides for you and insists upon. Nothing but Jesus.

23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”
Jeremiah 23:1-8
+
Woe To The Shepherds
The Lord has great concern for his people. He calls you sheep. He knows you need to be kept. You need someone to lead you to water and to green grass. Left to your own devices, you get lost, die of thirst, and starve. You are a master of making trouble for yourselves. You are also a tasty treat for the wolves: the devil, the world, and your own sinful nature. He wants good and reliable and faithful shepherds. Yet, the same enemies are tempting and attacking the shepherds, too. Many a shepherd has failed at his job. Indeed, many a false preacher and teacher has tried to pass as a shepherd in God's flock. They do not have God's will in mind. They have their own earthly gain in mind. God won't have his sheep destroyed and scattered. He sends the Good Shepherd. He sends his own. The hired hands care nothing for the sheep. Jesus cares for the sheep. The righteous Branch has arrived. He has suffered and died for the sheep. He has kept the sheep when no one else would or could. The blood of his cross binds up the wounded and nourishes the weak. He bids his sheep, you, come and be with him forever. So he sends his own undershepherds. They are sent with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is their only rule and norm. The green pastures and the quiet waters you require are given there by Jesus' hand.
 

24 “As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”
            28          Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot,
a vessel no one cares for?
                        Why are he and his children hurled and cast
into a land that they do not know?
            29          O land, land, land,
hear the word of the Lord!
            30          Thus says the Lord:
                        “Write this man down as childless,
a man who shall not succeed in his days,
                        for none of his offspring shall succeed
in sitting on the throne of David
and ruling again in Judah.”
Jeremiah 22:24-30
+
Justice Dealt
Our sin has consequences. The rebellion that we have staged will not overthrow God or his reign. All of God's enemies fall by his hand. This is not an epic battle of equals with evil on one side and good on the other. There is no power that compares to the glory of the Lord God. Our sins must therefore be punished. God sends his people into exile in Babylon. We have pain and sorrow. By the sweat of your brow, you eat the harvest of the land. The debt must be paid. Jesus pays it for you. He pays the whole debt. His righteous blood stills God's wrath and forgives your sins. Only through his blood are we saved. This One sits on the throne of David. He rules forever. Your righteousness must be his. Daily, through contrition and repentance, we drown our rebellion and sinful nature and cling to Christ alone. There a new man comes forth that is pleasing to God. Our sin has been destroyed by Jesus. He is your King.

18 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
                        “They shall not lament for him, saying,
‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’
                        They shall not lament for him, saying,
‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’
            19          With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried,
dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
            20          “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,
and lift up your voice in Bashan;
                        cry out from Abarim,
for all your lovers are destroyed.
            21          I spoke to you in your prosperity,
but you said, ‘I will not listen.’
                        This has been your way from your youth,
that you have not obeyed my voice.
            22          The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
and your lovers shall go into captivity;
                        then you will be ashamed and confounded
because of all your evil.
            23          O inhabitant of Lebanon,
nested among the cedars,
                        how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,
pain as of a woman in labor!”
Jeremiah 22:18-23
+
Bad King Perfect King
There are bad kings, and there are good kings. The bad kings rebel and disregard God's Law, and lead the people to worship false gods. They will fall and be remembered no longer. Over the course of the history of Israel, there were many bad kings and mediocre kings. God had established them to punish wickedness and to maintain righteousness. They failed. They were prideful and selfish. Some of them were selfish and angry. They lead the people of God away from His Word. God will not have it. He punishes the unrighteous. His wrath is kindled against the unbelief of man. It must be made right only by the blood shed of the Good King, the Perfect King: Jesus Christ. Jesus sits on his father David's throne. He leads his people to streams of righteousness and fields of truth. This King is also Priest forever. He has shed his blood so that you would be like him. Your sin has been taken away, and your life made new in him.

11 For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.”
            13          “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
and his upper rooms by injustice,
                        who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing
and does not give him his wages,
            14          who says, ‘I will build myself a great house
with spacious upper rooms,’
                        who cuts out windows for it,
paneling it with cedar
and painting it with vermilion.
            15          Do you think you are a king
because you compete in cedar?
                        Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
            16          He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
                        Is not this to know me?
declares the Lord.
            17          But you have eyes and heart
only for your dishonest gain,
                        for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence.”
Jeremiah 22:11-17
+
God Builds
We push away the Lord and his gifts. God's Word is foolishness to the world and a stumbling block. We do not believe his Word, and we do not trust his promises. Our sinful nature sets us up as an enemy of God. We'd have a name for ourselves. We'd build our own palaces and cities. It is the old Tower of Babel sin. The Lord must knock down the towers of our own rebellion. He is the only one that can rescue us from our own demise. This is the God that builds a temple in our hearts. He is the God that establishes righteousness by his own blood. Jesus is the Cornerstone. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor, labor in vain. Thus, the Lord comes down and creates a clean and new heart within you. He makes you a living stone and is using you in the construction of a Spiritual House. Together with every member of his Church, you are his own building material. It is there that we have life and have it to the full. Thanks be to God that he is the builder.

8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’”
            10          Weep not for him who is dead,
nor grieve for him,
                        but weep bitterly for him who goes away,
for he shall return no more
to see his native land.
Jeremiah 22:8-10
+
Weep for the Exile
Jeremiah’s words confront a misplaced grief. The people mourn the dead king, yet the Lord tells them to weep instead for the one led away into exile. Death, in a fallen world, is grievous, but exile under God’s judgment reveals something deeper: separation caused by sin. The greater tragedy is not merely dying, but being cut off from the Lord’s promised presence. So it is with us. We often lament earthly losses while ignoring the deeper condition of our hearts. Sin exiles us, from God, from life, from peace. Yet the Lord does not leave us there. He sends His Son into our exile. Christ bears our separation on the cross, enduring abandonment so that we would not. In His death, He enters our judgment; in His resurrection, He restores us. Therefore, our weeping turns to repentance, and our repentance to hope. For in Christ, the exile ends, and we are brought home to God.