Jeremiah 13

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Jeremiah 13:1-27 (KJV) 

1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 

God instructed Jeremiah to get a linen girdle and wear it not wash it.  To ask Jeremiah to get a girdle and Jeremiah did not ask why is total trust.

2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put [it] on my loins.

Jeremiah did what God told him to do.

 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

Then God spoke again to Jeremiah.

 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 

God told Jeremiah to leave where he was and go to a specific place, Euphrates, and take the girdle off and hide it in a hole of a rock.

5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

Jeremiah obeyed God. 

6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 

Much later, God told Jeremiah to go back and get the girdle.  I notice that this was an easy task, but it took time to do as God instructed.  God will never give us anything to do, we cannot do.

7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 

Jeremiah followed God's directions.  

8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

After Jeremiah did what God instructed him to do, God spoke to Jeremiah again.  If we do what God has instructed, He will continue to use us.

9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 

God explained to Jeremiah the purpose of the girdle.  God loved the people so much that he wanted to make sure we had an illustration of what would happen if we continued to disobey Him.  The girdle was tightly worn close to the body.  God said this was the relationship He wanted with His people, but because of our disobedience, God removed us from the place that meant so much to Him.

10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 

When we live a life of religion, we are simply creating things that have nothing to do with the Will of God.  When we dismiss God's Word and write our own rules, we are not good for anything.  Our communities will fail, our families will fail and anything done without God is a waste of time.

11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

God wanted us to cleave to Him.  He knew if we stayed close to Him, everything would go well in all that we did or do.

 12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

God told Jeremiah to tell the people that all bottles will have wine.  They replied, dah!! we know this, tell us something we do not know.  

 

13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 

After they say the words spoken about the wine they were accustomed to having, Jeremiah told them that God meant that you become so drunk you will not know what to do.  From the least to the greatest among you and every person who lives in Jerusalem will be drunk and confused.  This will be a destructive time in the lives of God's people.

14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 

15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.

Listen, and pay attention: do not ignore My Words:  God has spoken and it will surely come to pass.

 16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness. 

Change before God bring this disaster upon you.

17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for [your] pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive. 

Jeremiah said if you do not change, I will cry for you.  Jeremiah saw the sins of the people he also loved and hated to see what will happen to them even though it had not happened yet.  Jeremiah believed the words of God.

18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, [even] the crown of your glory. 

God told Jeremiah to speak to the highest of the people.  When God speaks, our ranks or positions of life do not mean anything when it is against God's judgment.

19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open [them]: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. 

God will destroy the land He freely gave His people because they did not live according to His Word.

20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where [is] the flock [that] was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 

Look at the place where the flocks dwelled, the enemy is on his way.

21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them [to be] captains, [and] as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? 

When you see those whom you taught are now standing over you, what will you do?  God spoke and said you will be in much pain for your unbelief in believing I am God.

22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels made bare. 

If you ask why this is happening to you?  The answer is already here because you sinned over and over again and you refused to stop sinning.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 

Just like the dark man can not change his skin, or a leopard his spot, so are you; you will not change and do good when everything about you is evil.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. 

Because of your sins, I will blow you away like a dry stick in the wind.

25 This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 

You trusted your religious leaders and now you will suffer the consequences.

26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

I will shame you and show your nakedness.

 27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?

Whatever you did, I saw it all.  I saw all of your sexual misconduct. You dishonored me everywhere you could and had no shame.  O My people will you not change?  When will it happen?