Jeremiah 52
February 28, 2024 10:50 AM
Solitary Man
solitaryman.substack.com
20240228
Jer 52:1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
So here we are. The final chapter. To all of you who have stuck with me thus far, congratulations! I pray that it has been a source of information, inspiration, impartation, and overall blessing as it has been for me.
This final chapter is unique. Most look at it as an appendix written by a later author. Some think it may of been Baruch, others think Ezra. Very few believe Jeremiah himself wrote it. While I always tend to greatly lean toward ascribing every word in each book to the stated author, I allow for the possibility that God may of had someone else append a sort of summary of the historical events that accompanied the life and times and words of this great prophet.
The main reason that most think someone else write this is as follows. First, there is no specific prophetical utterance in this chapter. It is pure history. Second, the last sentence of the last verse in the previous chapter stated: ‘Thus far are the words of Jeremiah’. Most think that means that this marks the end of what Jeremiah said and recorded. Third, the last few verses take us to 561 BC, 25 years after the fall of Jerusalem. That is a very long gap in Jeremiah’s work, if he actually wrote this final chapter. Fourth, Jewish tradition states that Jeremiah was stoned around 569 BC by the Jewish exiles, who were exasperated with his work. Fifth, it can be argued that someone organized the works of Jeremiah in a specific order, thus they may of added this final chapter as well. The work is certainly not in any chronological order, but more topical, thus arguing for someone who played the role of organizer. I would never say editor, as that would imply someone tampering with the actual text, which I never believe. Sixth, chapter 39 already covered most of these events already. Seventh, Jeremiah would of been around 90 years old should be of written this final chapter. Against all those arguments, the text does not specifically say who wrote this appendix. So, it does no harm to believe that Jeremiah actually wrote this as a sort of postscript, to neatly tie up the story of Judah’s downfall, by ending the tale on a positive note. As an added aside, the Septuagint also includes this chapter.
This chapter is an almost exact duplication of 2 Kings 24:18-20, 25:1-30. the absence of emotion is striking. In one sentence the wrath of God is pointed out as the cause, and the rest is spoken of in an almost academic sense. Certainly not the regular style of Jeremiah! We know his heart not just in the texts already studied, but also made so evident in the book of Lamentations, where his emotions are laid bare for all to see.
The agony of the fall of Jerusalem is condensed into 3 verses (4 through 6). I would like to borrow a sentence from Maclaren’s exposition, that aptly summarizes what this book should teach all of us:
The fall of Jerusalem should teach us that a nation is a moral whole, capable of doing evil and of receiving retribution, and not a mere aggregation of individuals.
This is an important point to ponder. God not only sees us as individuals, but as peoples, tribes and nations as a whole. Therefore, we cannot simply think that we have no part or responsibility to play when God judges our land. We are all a part of this world. A part of our nation. A part of our community. No matter how much we love to play hermit, God always sees us as part of something bigger. Perhaps America (and Canada) may have the most difficult time understanding this, as we so prize and admire the rugged individualist. If our nation is judged, then we cannot expect to escape every consequence.
The chapter begins by stating that Zedekiah’s reign is what we are going to consider. He was only 10 years old when his father Josiah died. He was the 3rd and youngest son. His name was originally Mattaniah. Nebuchadnezzar appointed him to reign, and he allowed him to change his name to Zedekiah, which means the righteous of God.
Jer 52:2 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
According to Jeremiah’s account, Jehoiakim’s 11 year reign seemed to contain significantly worse behavior than Zedekiah’s. Yet God saw Zedekiah as basically the same in character as Jehoiakim. I think this goes to show that anyone who thinks that they are accumulating brownie points be serving God with half measures is simply deceiving himself. We need to embrace reality as God sees it, according to his mishpat, and not our own. We always are far too merciful with ourselves, and not merciful enough with our brethren.
Jer 52:3 For through the anger (af – wrath, passion) of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence (face), that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
One sentence is all we get as to the reason Judah fell. God was mad. It wasn’t due to some sort of unique geopolitical event, or natural disaster, or recession, or bad luck. It was God. We give far too much heed to all these talking heads that try to explain exactly who and why we are in the mess we are in. It’s not Russia or China or the cabal of the WEF or our fake leaders. It is God. God, and God alone. This is the mindset Christians need to embrace and retain. Otherwise we will let ourselves off the hook spiritually, if we are able to redirect the blame onto some evil entity, and not squarely where it belongs, on ourselves, and our own sinfulness. God simply got tired of having to observe and put up with all the antics of the Judeans. How do you think he feels about us?
Jer 52:4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
The siege begins on a very specific day. It began in the month of December-January. Zech 8:19 speaks of a fast of the 10th month, in commemoration of this event. Did our siege begin in March, 2020?
Jer 52:5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
Jer 52:6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
We have studied all the sordid details of this 18 month period before. We do not know what true hunger is like. If our favorite brand is out of stock at our local store, we think that passes for suffering! I pray that the judgments of God don’t fall so hard that we see our children starving like these people did.
Jer 52:7 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.
Jer 39:4 has already covered this. When all is lost, it’s every man for himself. When the real tribulation comes, how many of us will actually walk in the true love of God, and help the desperate that come to us? Or will we be too panicked and fearful to even consider helping our fellow man?
Jer 52:8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
You can run, but you can’t hide. Sooner or later your failures and your refusal to deal with your personal issues will catch up with you. All your personal demons will never stop pursuing you until they have captured you and dragged you away.
Jer 52:9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment (mishpat) upon him.
The consensus is that this Riblah was in Antioch of Syria, a sort of temporary headquarters of the conquering army. You should purpose in your heart to ask God to pass his mishpat on you, rather than fleeing from God’s will so the king of Babylon gets to pass his version of mishpat instead. I can guarantee that you would of wished that you would of taken whatever deal God had offered you in the past. Now it was too late.
Jer 52:10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
What conquerors do is ensure there is no more candidates for the throne. They not only extinguish the ruling bloodline, but all men of consequence, leaders who can possibly rally the natives. Look at what they are doing to Trump. Unrelenting attacks. Look at how they single out and cancel almost every influential voice in the alternative media space. If we wonder what it was like to live in Stalinist Russia, in Nazi Germany, in Mao’s China, we need not wonder anymore, as critical elements of all three tyrannical systems have now entrenched themselves in our nations.
Jer 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
If you refuse God’s mishpat and try to escape his judgment, you are signing your own death warrant. But that sentence may not be executed speedily. You may experience a prolonged season of agony and torment. Consider this bio-weapon in our midst. Some die immediately. Some die in a few days, weeks, months, or years. Some die quickly, some slowly. Some die with one other disease, some die with several. Some die in their sleep. Some by playing sports, some by walking down the street. Some experience disability after disability. Some endure unending pain. Some go mad. Zedekiah refused to see the truth, so God took his eyes, since he valued true sight so little.
Jer 52:12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,
We now get the account of the total destruction of the dwelling place of Yehovah. It took place a full month after the walls were broken into. This indicates intent, not passion. In other words, the destruction of the presence of the one true God is always something the enemy carries out with specific intent. It is not something that he does in the heat of the moment.
Jer 52:13 And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
The place of the presence of God was torn down, block by block. No blocks were left standing. When we allowed the godless to take down the block of public prayer, of the ten commandments, of the illegality of sodomy, of abortion, we should of known that they were not going to stop until every block of the faith would be removed. I don’t think there are too many blocks left to remove, do you?
When the presence of God is removed, then his blessings are removed along with it. We lose our possessions, and our leaders.
Jer 52:14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
Whatever defences we had built are also systematically torn down. We had the walls of the constitution, the bill of rights, the charter of rights and freedoms, the rule of law, informed consent, doctor patient confidentiality, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the fact of biological gender, and so on. All of that broken down round about us.
Jer 52:15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
The end result is always enslavement. The carrying away of the poor of the city was added to the text in comparison to 2 Ki 25:11. The city dwellers added no value like the ones who could till the land. Just more useless eaters. They were probably taken to Babylon to be disposed of in the slave market, to see if they could get something for them. Otherwise who knows how many were simply disposed of in a more permanent fashion.
Jer 52:16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
All those who have signed up for the great reset will be shocked at how most of them will have no purpose, no value, and therefore be just as expendable as those whom they helped to destroy. A certain few would have some worth, and would be allowed to live, in total subjection. All the collaborators during covid will soon see what sort of raw deal they signed up for. Think of the nurses who helped kill off the initial patients, and then were fired for not taking the poison death shot themselves. Think of all these immigrants, some of who actually think they can find steady work here. Look at almost every store replacing them with automated check out tills. How some have robotic floor cleaners. Soon very little will be left for the common man. They will have no value to the elite, so what do you think their fate will be?
Jer 52:17 Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
What can we make of all this detail about all this temple stuff? Perhaps it’s that when God judges, his judgment is complete. When the end comes, nothing that you have taken for granted will be left. This is what total judgment looks like.
This was the 3rd housecleaning of the temple. The first was when Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jehoiakim (Dan 1:2). The second time was at the captivity of Jechoniah, (Jer 27:19; 2 Ki 24:13). Now whatever was left was taken. This is what judgment looks like. First your excess wealth is carried off. Then more critical infrastructure is taken away. Finally, it all goes.
For reference to the pillars, see 1 Ki 7:15. The bases were where the 10 lavers of brass were set (1 Ki 7:37). The brasen sea is also called the molten sea, as it contained much water (1 Ki 7:23). All these brass items were broken up, for ease of transport.
Jer 52:18 The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
Caldrons is rendered pots in 2 Ki 25:14, made of bright brass (1 Ki 7:45), used to boil the flesh of the sacrifices. The shovels were used to remove the ashes, also made of brass. Suffers are most likely tongs. Bowls were most likely used to receive the blood of the sacrifices. The spoons and all other utensils would be the miscellany of what was needed to attend to the business of the sacrifices.
Jer 52:19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.
The bowls were omitted in 2 Ki 25:15. They were of gold (1 Ki 7:50). The firepans would be the censors, made of gold, belonging to the golden altar (1 Ki 7:50). The bowls, or basins, of which there were a hundred, were of gold (2 Chr 4:8). The caldrons are not mentioned in 2 Ki 25:15. What they were cannot be ascertained with certainty. The candlesticks were of gold, 10 in number (1 Ki 7:49). The spoons were of gold (1 Ki 7:50). The cups refer to the bowls to cover withal (Ex 25:29), some sort of covering for the shewbread. Basically anything found in gold or silver was removed.
Jer 52:20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
1 Ki 7:25 speak of the 2 pillars Jachin and Boaz. The 12 bulls were what the molten sea stood upon. It is specifically stated here that these were the originals created by Solomon. Although Ahaz had dismounted the molten sea, it was never destroyed, and probably reinstalled by someone like Hezekiah. This thing was massive, and not something easily moved. Nevertheless God had the Chaldeans take even this unwieldy treasure away.
Jer 52:21 And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet (measuring line) of twelve cubits did compass (surround) it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.
1 Ki 7:15 also says 18 cubits per pillar. 2 Chr 3:15 says both pillars totalled 35 cubits. These can be reconciled by allowing one cubit for the base. The pillars were 12 cubits, or 18 feet, in circumference. That would make the diameter 5 feet, 9 inches. The wall of the column was 4 inches thick, making a hollowness of just over 5 feet in diameter.
Jer 52:22 And a chapiter (old word for capital of a column) of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.
Don’t you just love the ole King James! Most come across one word like chapiter, and they faint dead away. You know, it’s not a sin to relearn some old words that have been tossed by the wayside! A chapiter was a capital, a coronet, a topping placed on top of the column. It was 7.5 feet high. 2 Ki 5:17 states the chapiter was only 3 cubits high. This is explained by having 2 parts to the chapiter – the one lower and plain, of two cubits; the other, higher and curiously carved, of three cubits. The former is omitted in 2Ki 25:17, as belonging to the shaft of the pillar; the latter alone is there mentioned. Here the whole chapiter of five cubits is referred to. The second pillar was like the first.
Jer 52:23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side (ruach – wind, to a wind); and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
On a side – The 96 were toward the four winds, 24 toward the north, 24 toward the east, and so on. Add one at each corner, and the whole 100 is made up. Here is where we must bow to the learned men who have studied Hebrew and can give us special insight into certain words that we only know via its most common meaning. Ruach is known to us as spirit or breath or wind. A nuance allows it to mean ‘windward’, or ‘towards the four winds’. Thus, there would be 24 pomegranates facing each direction, with 1 at each of the 4 corners, making 100. 1 Ki 7:20 says there were 200 of them. However they speak of rows of them, so there were 2 rows of 100, counting those on the corners, which you would include if you are speaking of the number on an entire row. 2 Chr 4:13 speaks of 400, the sum of both columns.
What I find fascinating is the precision of the texts. So many skeptics love to jump on each and every supposed numerical discrepancy, as to somehow prove that the entire word of God is a fraud. They force us to dig deeper and deeper, and you know what? God always gives us the answer! In one sense, we should be thankful to these atheistic fools, who are searching high and low for a valid reason to discount holy writ. Yet all they seem to accomplish is to give us more examples of the precision and utter infallibility of the text. Should any other historical work fall under a tenth of the textual scrutiny that these fiends attempt to apply to the scripture, we would end up rejecting every single scrap of historical record. Yet as long as it is not scripture, the bar of acceptance is set at such a lower height.
We should never be surprised at the antics of the devil’s children. The sinner ever seeks an excuse to reject the burden of the word of the Lord.
Sometimes one wonders why God goes to such lengths to tell us such mundane details as the particular measurements of these brass columns that were chopped up, hauled away, and never seen again. Perhaps it is to give us opportunities to compare scripture with scripture, to prove the authenticity and absolute accuracy of God’s word. It also confirms to us that the bible is the most reliable historical document that mankind possesses. Perhaps it is to preserve the temple measurements, to be used in its rebuilding. Perhaps it’s also to remind us of the glory and splendour of the temple, so that God’s people will never forget how easily it is to lose the presence of God, and all of the good things that that entails.
Jer 52:24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
Seraiah is said to be the father of Ezra (Ez 7:1), but that would most likely be in the context of being in the lineage of, as Ezra came on the scene much later than the death of this man. The second priest would be the deputy priest, in case something happened to the high priest. The keepers of the door would of had the keys to the temple. These were not the ordinary porters, but would receive the offerings of the people to place in the treasury.
Jer 52:25 He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge (superintendence) of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
The list now goes to the leaders of the army. This eunuch was some sort of chief commander of the forces. Seven other prominent men are mentioned. 2 Ki 25:19 states five, probably because 2 of them were not as illustrious as the others, and were not worth a mention in that text. The scribe would be some sort of secretary of war, who would be in charge of the levy and the recruits. 60 more men of prominence are also mentioned. Basically, anyone who was prominent in the war machine of Judah.
Jer 52:26 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
All these leaders were brought to be judged.
Jer 52:27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
So judgment was passed and sentence carried out. This completed the 3rd and final exile.
Jer 52:28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
Now we come to a summary of the 3 captivities and exiles. We will have to take some time and discuss the various methods of dating these things, and deal with any supposed discrepancies therein.
First, we are not considering the first captivity of 605 BC, where Daniel and his 3 friends were taken away. Perhaps that was not as significant as the others, so is not mentioned here again (see Dan 1:1-7). Second, the 7th year refers to the 7th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, which would be 598 BC. However, 2 KI 24:12 says this deportation was done in the 8th year (597). the obvious answer is that the exile began in his 7th year, and was completed in the 8th. Note how time is being reckoned according to the Babylonian kings, as Judah is being destroyed.
2 Ki 24:14 says that 10,000 were exiled, here it says 3,023. One way to reconcile is that 3023 Judeans were exiled, the rest being from Benjamin and other tribes. The other explanations that I have to painfully slog through in the commentaries all want to do some sort of injury to the text itself. Some say they refer to separate events, one in the 7th year, one in the 8th. At least that one does no injury to the text. Others want to ascribe textual errors, which I can never abide. The simplest explanation is just to look carefully at the text itself. 3023 implies some official registry. The 10,000 in 2nd Kings was a rough estimate of the total number of souls taken to Babylon. This precise number would reflect a list of prominent citizens who would have their names listed in an official roll. A good guess would be that there were many people who may of temporarily holed up behind Jerusalem’s walls from outside the city. They would of been caught up in the roundup and deportation when Babylon came. They could also have been rounded up as Babylon’s army passed though the land.
Jer 52:29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:
Now we speaking of the 3rd official deportation, in 586, at the fall of Jerusalem. The 18th year of Nebby’s (I am tired of spelling out this man’s name!) reign is spoken of here. 2 Ki 25:8 speaks of his 19th year. However there it specifically states that it is referring to the 5th month, 7th day, whereas Jerusalem was breached in the 4th month. Thus Nebby’s reign may of passed from the 18th to the 19th year during this time. The fact that only 832 people is mentioned shows how few people were left alive and in useful enough shape after the siege.
Jer 52:30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
Here is a 4th deportation, not usually mentioned with the 3, as the first three occurred while Judah was still a viable nation. This one would of occurred as a result of all the shenanigans under Ishmael and Johanan, assassinating puppet kings and fleeing into Egypt. This particular deportation is not mentioned anywhere else. It occurred around 581 BC. The final number of 4600 is simply the sum of the 3 figures in these 3 verses. While the number of souls carried away in total during this time was far larger, these 3 numberings represented some sort of count that could be verified somehow from some surviving documents at the time this was written, or had survived, in my estimation.
Jer 52:31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,
We now come to the final portion of the great book of Jeremiah. These 4 verses parallels 2 Ki 25:27-30.
The 37th year of Jehoiachin’s imprisonment takes us to 561 BC. Thirty seven years is a long time to spend in jail, and to survive it altogether. He was captured in 597. he spent 11 years in prison while Zedekiah ruled until 586. Then another 24 years until 562 when Nebuchadnezzar died. Then perhaps another year more before his successor released him. Evilmerodach only reigned 2 years from sometime in 562 to sometime in 560. So sometime in 561, which was sometime in Jehoiachin’s 37th year of captivity, he was released.
I find it interesting that Zedekiah did not survive very long, according to all that we know. Blinded, the last sight that he saw was all his sons slain, as his ending was not pleasant. Jehoiachin, who didn’t seem to have any interest in the things of God, and was most known for burning Jeremiah’s scroll, survives right to the era of Nebuchadnezzar’s son.
The discrepancy of the 27th day in 2 Ki 25:27 and the 25th day here, may be explained 2 ways. The decree to free him may be given on the 25th and executed on the 27th. Or, he may of been let out on the 25th and the king spoke kindly to him on the 27th.
Jer 52:32 And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
Jehoiachin would of been about 55 years old at the time. It was a common custom for kings to keep prominent defeated kings at their court. Cyrus kept Croesus king of Lydia at his court. God had seen the affliction of Jehoiachin, and after 37 years, saw fit to elevate him. God seems to like taking people from the lowest place and exalting them to the highest. Recollect the stories of Joseph and Daniel.
Jer 52:33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
God takes us out of the bondage and chains of sin and clothes us with the robes of righteousness. He feeds us from his word. He takes us out of the dungeon and sets us up on high.
Jer 52:34 And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
We don’t know how long Jehoiachin lived after this. Evil-merodach only lived one more year. Whether or not this arrangement continued with the next king, of if Jehoiachin was even alive at that moment, we don’t know. The death spoken of above was most likely Jehoiachin and not Evilmerodach, if we examine the context of the verse.
This last portion reminds me of the last portion of the book of Acts. Paul, though in prison, was said to be providentially cared for in kindness. A positive ending to both books, concluding in hope.
God is saying to us that no matter how long your trial, even if it lasts for 37 years, he has not forgotten about you, and can reverse your fortune at any time.
In 561 BC, Babylon still ruled the world. Jerusalem and Judah were still occupied and in a state of ruin. Jehoiachin was still in prison after 37 years. Yet God still remembered him and delivered him in the midst of this still dark time and allowed him to live out the rest of his days in comfort and peace. Paul had spent many of his years in prison, yet he was allowed to preach to others and have visits by friends. He wrote a good portion of the New Testament while he waited on God’s timing of his deliverance.
Not only has God not forgotten about you, but even if you are in some sort of restricted situation, whether in prison or somewhere else, he can use you mightily regardless of where you find yourself.
Conclusion
Whew! What a ride! 52 chapter in 52 days! Now I know what Nehemiah must of felt like!
I want to end this journey by first and foremost giving all honour and glory to God, and to his son the Lord Jesus Christ. Only he could of called me, enabled me, and given me the motivation and desire to do this. Believe me, this calling has been unprecedented in my life. I have never been asked to undertake anything like this before. Now I am starting to understand why God allowed me an early retirement. I guess it wasn’t just so that I could revive my golf game!
God is a miraculous God. When I undertook this, my first thought was that this was a good way to preserve my incomprehensible scribbles that I have written in the margins of my bible. I thought that most of what I would write would springboard from those crib notes.
In actuality, I would estimate that only about 10 or 20% of what I wrote was directly inspired by what I had already written down. A significant portion came from the numerous words that I looked up in Strong’s concordance, and in the various classical commentaries found online at biblehub.com. Nuances in the Hebrew, historical facts and theologian’s theories would take my thoughts in certain directions.
Yet I was amazed that as I sat down at my computer each day, just how much material the Lord downloaded to me at that very moment. I found that virtually every time it seemed as if I could not type fast enough. I can’t recall a single time that I was ever stuck for words. Basically, I wrote this commentary on an average of working half a day or so (some days a little more), each day for 52 days, for the 52 chapters in total. The result was over 460 pages of text. Because God had me do only one proofread on each chapter, you probably have found several spelling and grammatical errors. Those are entirely my fault. Yet I felt compelled to work with this format each and every day, and not take a break until I was done. I don’t know why the urgency. Perhaps God just wanted it out there as soon as possible. Perhaps God wanted to demonstrate that he can take any one of you out there, and accomplish something miraculous in your life, right where you are at.
I have never published anything in my life. I am a very private person, who jealously guards his privacy and alone time. I publish anonymously not just because I value my privacy, but because I want everyone to focus on the writing, and have no concept or idea as to who is behind it, as I am merely the instrument of God. I am irrelevant, God and the truth contained within these pages is all that matters.
Why Jeremiah? Why this, of all books to write one’s first commentary on? The simple answer is that God commanded it. Jeremiah has been speaking to my heart in the last couple of years more than any other book in the bible. I fully realize that this will not be the case for most, if not all, of you out there. However if you have stuck with this journey thus far, then God has called you in some measure as well. He wants you to glean whatever truths he wants you to glean. Do not worry if you don’t agree with everything I say. I fully believe different passages are for different people. I also believe that different passages will be read by different people at different times in the future. I pray that each and every one of you has received something that your spirit needs out of this series.
So what can we take away from this epic book? What truths has God revealed at this time in 2024? As you are well aware, I have tried to give a historical context to each and every verse. I have also tried to dig into the original Hebrew as much as possible. I have tried to glean the best wisdom found in the classical, conservative commentators of old, who spent far, far more time studying the text than I have. But my main thrust was always to bring Jeremiah into the context of today. What did this ancient text point to in our world? Did God predict the things that we are going through in this book? What definitive pattern was God trying to show his body? What fundamental teachings was God trying to restore in his church?
This is my feeble attempt to do so. I have given you all that the Lord has allowed me to give. I have an unction in my heart that I may be allowed to complete the writings of Jeremiah before this winter is through, by taking on the book of Lamentations. However, before I undertake that task, a break is in order.
This journey has been my honour and my privilege to undertake with you, my dear readers. How blessed I am that through the medium of the internet, anyone from anywhere in the world may be able to access these writings.
I do not know if anyone has found anything of eternal value in these pages. I pray each and every day that Jesus only brings those here that he calls, and that he prevents anyone who is not supposed to read this from coming here at all. I know that these revelations are not for everyone. So few seem to be able to grasp and accept the true mishpats (judgments) of God. So few seem to understand that his ways are judgment.
As we continue to go forward in this, the most dangerous of years, may God bring to your heart those things that he has shown you in this commentary, and may they be a balm, a comfort, a warning, and most importantly, a strong inspiration to go and do what the Lord is calling you to do.
May God richly bless all of you, and may he keep you in the center of his will.
Solitary Man
https://solitaryman.substack.com/
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