Study Questions for Jeremiah 47-52

Study Questions for Jeremiah 47-52

The Big Idea: God will execute justice in the end to everyone for their treatment of Him and His people, but His compassion will lead to restoration of some.

I. Judgment on the Surrounding Nations (47-49) / Key Idea: Regardless of size or prominence, all nations will be judged for their attitudes of arrogance and self-sufficiency.
1. Look at Jer 47:1-7. Locate Philistia on a map in the back of your Bible. What would happen to the Philistines (v2, 4, 6-7)? How bad would it be (v3, 5)? / Philistia was on the southern seacoast of Judah, with the northernmost part on latitude with Jerusalem. They had been Judah’s enemies since the time of the Judges (1100-1300 BC) and at times were very strong. No matter how strong they were, though, there would be a torrent flowing from the north (Babylon) that would overflow the land and their cities, causing every inhabitant of their land to wail. They were Tyre and Sidon’s allies, and they would be destroyed, so that the land would look “bald”. It would be so bad that the fathers wouldn’t even turn back for their children. Even though they gashed themselves in mourning it would do no good because God had given the order and His sword (through the Babylonians) would defeat them.
2. From 48:1-35 locate Moab. How bad would their destruction be (v1, 3, 9, 15) and whose work was this destruction (v10)? What was Moab’s problem (v7, 13, 29, 35)? / Moab, to the east of the Dead Sea, would be destroyed in God’s judgment, too. Their stronghold would be shattered, there would be devastation and great destruction, their cities would be uninhabited, and their choicest young men would be slaughtered. God would do this work of judgment through another nation, presumably Babylon, and He pronounced a curse on anyone who did this work of judgment negligently. He wanted this to be done thoroughly because Moab had such pride and trusted in their false god, Chemosh, to whom they offered sacrifices and burned incense. They were proud of their own achievements, were arrogant, and exalted themselves. Both idolatry and pride are repulsive to God, so He had to confront these in judgment.
3. In 48:36-47 what would the results of God’s judgment be (v36, 38, 39, 44, 46)? What would their final outcome be (v47) and what does this tell us? / Moab would lose the abundance they (God) had produced, they would lament for their brokenness, they would be ashamed, they would be punished no matter where they turned, and their sons and daughters would be taken captive. Their final outcome, however, would be the restoration of their fortunes in the latter days. This lets us know that God does care about mankind, and even those who have strayed away will one day be brought back. This may be a reference to those who would turn to Christ from the nation of Moab in the latter days, for this is the true fortune that we gain in our lives.
4. Using Jer 49:1-6 locate Ammon. What was their sin (v1, 4) and what would happen to them (v2-3, 5)? What would God do later (v6)? / Ammon was on the eastern side of the southern end of the Jordan River. They had descended from Lot by incest (just as Moab had), so they were related to the Jews in a distant way. Their sin was twofold; first they had taken over and settled in Judah’s cities, and they were boastful over the treasures they possessed. They felt they could trust in these rather than in God. God always judges those who take advantage of or harm His people, and He judges those who are prideful and self-sufficient. Their judgment would be defeat at the hands of their enemies so that their towns would be burned out and desolate. They would go into exile, being driven out headlong from their land. Later, though, God would restore their fortunes just as He would Moab’s.
5. Based on 49:7-22 what would be the cause of Edom’s (Esau’s descendents) judgment (v16)? How bad would it be (v10, 13, 17-18, 20) and why was it certain (v19-20)? / Edom, which was south of the Dead Sea in an arid, mountainous region would be judged because they were arrogant. They believed themselves secure from outside forces because they lived high in the mountains, and this attitude often breeds arrogance. Their judgment would manifest itself in God’s revealing of Edom’s hiding places, leaving them vulnerable to outside attack. They would become an object of horror, a curse, and their cities would be in perpetual ruins, so that everyone who passed by would be horrified and hiss at their wounds (maybe a “tsk, tsk” type of reaction). Their desolation of their overthrow would be comparable to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, and they would all be dragged off by their enemies, even the little ones of the flock. Their pasture, metaphorically speaking, would become desolate. This judgment was certain because God was the One who had ordained it. He would cause Edom’s soldiers to run away from their enemy when he attacked, and their enemy would take over their land. God was without equal, and was not under the judgment of any. In fact there is no “shepherd” (leader) who can stand against Him. He had purposed this judgment and there was no higher judge to overturn His ruling; it would certainly come to pass.
6. In 49:23-39 look up Damascus (Syria), Kedar, Hazor and Elam on a map. Describe God’s judgment and its effect on each of them (v23-27, 28-33, 34-38). What is Elam’s end (v39)? / Damascus was just north of Palestine, Kedar was to the east of Damascus (northwest Arabia), Hazor was just to the west of the Sea of Galilee, near Megiddo, and Elam was east of Babylon (quite a distance away from Palestine). God’s judgment on Damascus, the capital of Syria, was that it would be deserted, her men of war would be silenced, her young men would fall in her streets, the city wall would be incinerated, and their fortified towers would be destroyed. The effect would be anxiety, panic, distress, and helplessness. Kedar and Hazor would be devastated and their inhabitants would pack up their tents to move to another place. They would sense terror on every side, and would realize their vulnerability to Babylon’s attack since they were a nation that lived in tents without any defense. Hazor would become a haunt of jackals and a desolation forever. Elam would have their “bow broken” – the military might destroyed – and they would be scattered to the four winds. Their enemies would completely destroy them and God would set His throne over them (whoever of His choosing) so that they would be ruled by a foreign power. However, in the last days God would restore the fortunes of Elam, again showing that the plans of men and nations are all in God’s hands, and He does whatever He wills, for good or bad.
II. Judgment on Babylon (50-51) / Key Idea: Those who have been allowed to carry out evil, even for the Lord’s purposes, will finally be judged for their actions.
7. According to 50:1-16 who will finally get repaid (v1, 2) and who will do it (v3, 9, 14-15)? Why will this happen (v7, 11, 13)? How will it affect Israel (v4-6, 8)? What does this tell us? / Babylon “the great” (Rev 18:2) will finally receive retribution, along with their primary gods, Marduk and Bel. This would be accomplished by another nation from the north, which would refer to the Medes and the Persians. This horde of great nations would come against them in their own land at the instigation of the Lord because of their sin against Him, and their jubilation over the destruction of Israel. This justice would allow Judah to return from their captivity and to some degree their hearts would be turned back to the Lord. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is in the millennial kingdom when all Israel will turn back to God and dwell with Him in everlasting covenant. This shows us that God is a God of justice, He is also in the “business” of restoration; even though we sin as His people, He longs for us to come back to Him. Even as the story of the Prodigal Son shows, it is because of our rebellious hearts that we do not return, and not His.
8. From 50:17-46 what was Babylon’s sin (v24, 29-32, 38) and what would God do to them (v35-43)? What would God do for Israel (v33-34)? / Babylon’s sin was that of engaging in conflict with the Lord because they had become arrogant towards Him, and worshipped their own false gods. Because of this God would bring a sword against them – inhabitants, priests, mighty men, horses and chariots, women and the land itself. A cruel people from the north would destroy their land and all that it contained. In contrast God would be the strong Redeemer of Israel to vigorously plead their case and redeem them, bringing rest to the earth and turmoil to the Babylonians.
9. Based on 51:1-64 who is behind Babylon’s rise (v7, 20-23) and fall (v6, 9-10, 24, 36-40, 52-53)? Describe Him (v15-19, 56). What is Babylon’s end (v59-64)? / The Lord was behind Babylon’s rise to power. She was the “golden cup” of the Lord’s judgment from which the nations would drink. She was the war-club of the Lord to shatter nations, kingdoms and their leaders. The Lord is also the one behind the fall of Babylon, meaning that He will recompense her for all of the evil she has perpetrated. There could be no healing for Babylon once the Lord’s judgment on her began, and the end would be desolation for the nation and land. All of her idols would be destroyed and the wounded would groan throughout the land. The Lord who accomplished (and will accomplish at the end of the age – Rev 17-18) this is powerful and all-wise, creating and establishing the heavens and the earth. He is sovereign, running the affairs of the earth by His word, and administering the armies of heaven (angels) by His command. He is also a God of justice and recompense. Babylon in the end will be cut off so that nothing, neither man nor beast, will dwell in it. She would sink down as certainly as a scroll with a rock tied to it would sink down in the Euphrates, becoming exhausted from all the calamity which the Lord would bring upon them.
III. Judah’s Fall (52) / Key Idea: Even though God’s people will be disciplined for their disobedience they must always hope in God.
10. Looking at 52:1-27 what caused Judah’s fall (v1-3) and how did it occur (v4-7, 12-16)? What happened to Zedekiah (v8-11), the temple (v17-23), and the king’s advisors (v24-27)? / Judah fell because of the Lord’s judgment on their incessant evil. It occurred finally by a two year siege when Babylon came against them, tore down their walls, set fire to their city, captured Zedekiah and his men as they fled, and carried them off to Riblah in Hamath. Zedekiah then watched as his sons were slaughtered, then they blinded his eyes, bound him in chains, and put him in prison until his death. The temple was burned down and all of the metal articles were taken back to Babylon, including the ornamentation around the pillars. The rest of the king’s advisors were rounded up and taken back to Hamath where they were killed. Thus Judah was taken into exile.
11. Read Jer 52:28-34. Recap the exile (v28-30). What happened to Jehoiachin (v31-34), and when (v31)? What does this show us? / In the 7th year 3,023 Jews were taken into exile, in the 18th year 832 people were taken from Jerusalem, and in the 23rd year carried 745 Jews into exile – 4,600 in all. In the 37th year of the exile Evil-Merodach came to power and released Jehoiachin from prison, set his throne above the other kings who were exiled in Babylon, gave him a change of clothes, allowed him to eat his meals in the king’s presence regularly the rest of his life, and gave him a daily allowance until the day of his death. This shows us that even in the darkest of circumstances that God is still at work in our lives, and that He can lead even evil kings (or bosses, authority figures, etc) to bless our lives when He so chooses. We must never give up hope in God.