Jeremiah 39 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

CONTENTS

We are now arrived at the long predicted event, the taking of the city. Zedekiah hath his eyes put out; and all the people are made prisoners.

See here the confirmation of God's word; and the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy: and behold in it also, a full refutation of the false and lying prophets. And thus, Reader, depend upon it, will be the final accomplishment of all God's promises of salvation to the people of God, and everlasting destruction to all his enemies.

What a sad business Zedekiah had made of it; and what a grievous calamity followed! Zedekiah was but in the prime of life when these things took place. And here he felt the awful consequence of rejecting the counsel of God against his own soul His eyes allowed him to behold his little ones, and nobles, all slain; and then darkness as to this world, closed in upon him forever. Reader! pause and contemplate the still greater calamity of the hardened sinner, when all earthly comforts are departing from him; and the everlasting darkness of death and eternal misery, are sealing up his soul at the last day!

I read this verse by itself, to remark distinguishing mercies. The poor also in a spiritual sense, who have nothing, find all things in Jesus!

Behold the care the Lord takes of his people, agreeably to his promise, Jeremiah 15:11. And is it not so in all ages? Oh! Reader, never lose sight of the blessed doctrine that ariseth out of this scripture. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly. 2 Peter 2:9; Psalms 105:14-15.

It should seem that Ebed-melech, notwithstanding his boldness in Jeremiah's cause, (see Jeremiah 38:7-13.) was timid concerning the threatened judgments of God upon Jerusalem. The Lord hath special respect to the fearful minds of his little ones. His grace shall be sufficient for them; and his strength shall be according to their weakness. It is blessed to know this; and doubly blessed to rely upon it in Christ.

REFLECTIONS

WHO would have believed (saith the Prophet) among the kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem! But the cause is immediately given. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, it is that which hath shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. But Reader! behold not only in this history, but in the history of all the earth, what sin hath wrought. It was sin that caused the destruction of the old world by a flood! It was sin that gave rise to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. And it as sin, by which death hath entered into the circumstances of all mankind, and destroys all, because all have sinned. And would you see a yet more tremendous display of the effects of sin, than the everlasting destruction of rebellious men and angels, put all together; behold it in the death of Christ; when he who knows no sin became sin and a curse for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Yea, Reader, in the Son of God taking upon him our nature, and dying, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, there is a greater manifestation of the awful nature of sin, than the overthrow and annihilation of all the creation of God would have been in proof!

Pause then, my soul, over these solemn considerations! Behold the judgments against sin, going on throughout the earth! Look at the effects of sin, in the sorrows, and wars, and carnage, and miseries, both in private life and public bodies. And when the full influence of these solemn things are suitably felt in thine own apprehension, look unto Jesus, the only refuge and consolation under all. Oh! for grace to know him, who by death hath destroyed him that had the power of death; and delivered them who through fear of death are all their life time subject to bondage.