Jeremiah 14

CHAPTER 14

Drought, Famine, Sword (14:1–22)

1–6 Jeremiah wrote this chapter during a drought; this drought coincided with one of the two Babylonian invasions leading up to the final fall of Jerusalem (see verse 18). The Lord’s purpose in sending the drought was to bring the people of Judah to repentance. Drought was one of the threatened punishments for disobeying God’s covenant commands (Leviticus 26:19–20). This particular drought was severe; the people could do nothing but cover their heads in mourning (verses 3–4).

7–9 Here Jeremiah prays on behalf of the people. He asks God to do something for the sake of His name, His honor (verse 7). If Judah was destroyed, God would be dishonored in the eyes of pagans, because they would assume He was too weak to save His people. Jeremiah says to God: . . . we bear your name (verse 9); we are your children.

10–12 But the Lord rejects the people of Judah because they have rejected Him. He tells Jeremiah not to pray for this people (see Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14); they are no longer His people; He will not listen. Their burnt offerings and grain offerings⁵⁶ will do no good (verse 12); the Lord will not accept them (see Jeremiah 6:20 and comment). Instead, God will destroy these people with the sword, famine and plague, three of the punishments given for breaking God’s covenant (see Leviticus 26:25–26).

13–16 In verse 13, Jeremiah defends the people by saying they have been misled by false prophets. Their prophets had assured them that the Lord would send them peace, not sword and famine (see Jeremiah 5:12; 6:14).

In response, the Lord condemns the false prophets and assures Jeremiah that they will perish by sword and famine—the very things they said would never touch the land! (verse 15). And the people will perish with them (verse 16).

There have been “false prophets” in every generation; they are the ones who assure us we can have blessing without obedience, success without sacrifice, restoration without repentance. They promise prosperity. They speak of a one–sided god who is loving and kind but who makes no demands (see Exodus 34:4–7 and comment). Such a god is not the God revealed in Scripture.

17–18 Here the Lord expresses His own grief through the mouth of Jeremiah.⁵⁷ He is saddened by the people’s disobedience. He is not indifferent to their suffering, even though He is the one who must bring it upon them to punish them for their sin.

19–22 Jeremiah again prays on the people’s behalf. He confesses the collective sin of the people. O LORD . . . we have indeed sinned against you (verse 20). God had promised that true repentance would lead to restoration (see Leviticus 26:40–45; Deuteronomy 30:1–5), but we know that the people of Judah did not truly repent. Repentance is more than just a formal prayer offered by a priest or prophet; it is an individual confession of sin and a turning to God in one’s heart.

Jeremiah asks God not to dishonor His glorious throne, the temple in Jerusalem (verse 21). He also asks God to honor the promise He made not to break His covenant with Israel (Leviticus 26:44–45). And finally, Jeremiah acknowledges that only God can send rain and end the drought; He is Judah’s only hope (verse 22).