Judgment on the Nations

Jeremiah 25:15-38 

15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16 And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them."

17 Then I took the cup from the LORD's hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had sent me: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people; 20 all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); 21 Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes; 26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

27 "Therefore you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."' 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall certainly drink! 29 For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth," says the LORD of hosts.'

30 "Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:
'The LORD will roar from on high,
And utter His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His fold.
He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth—
For the LORD has a controversy with the nations;
He will plead His case with all flesh.
He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says the LORD."

32 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
"Behold, disaster shall go forth
From nation to nation,
And a great whirlwind shall be raised up
From the farthest parts of the earth.

33 And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

34 "Wail, shepherds, and cry!
Roll about in the ashes,
You leaders of the flock!
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled;
You shall fall like a precious vessel.

35 And the shepherds will have no way to flee,
Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds,
And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard.
For the LORD has plundered their pasture,
37 And the peaceful dwellings are cut down
Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

38 He has left His lair like the lion;
For their land is desolate
Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor,
And because of His fierce anger."

Judgment was given first to The people of the LORD, then to Babylon, and now to the nations.  The message was that they would drink of God’s furious wrath for their sin and most of all their idolatry in lieu of worshiping Him.  They would be drunken and staggering in their wanderings as the sword consumed them among each other in that terrible judgment.  Such a fearful thing to fall into His hand of judgment as Hebrews 10:31 reminds us!  Jeremiah took the cup and meted it out to the nations as commanded and they drank of that cup of fury, all nations far and near across the face of the earth.  Those who refused to listen and obey to drink from the judgment of God faced punishment by the sword and other disasters.  There is no escape from God’s wrath, only accountability.  Unless repentance to life in Jesus Christ is received through faith, that is.  All others are under the judgment and justly deserved sentence of death; only those hearing and trusting in His work of grace escape this horrific and unending end.  Those addressed here would hear the voice of God just as others will hear His trumpeting call to accountability in the end (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 14:7).  God’s case of justice would sentence them accordingly for He is King and Judge of all His creation as is just and fair.  Justice will reach every nation in every corner of the world, but what is not said here is the deliverance possible to the sheep He calls to Himself in Christ through God-given faith to repentance and life forever with Him in forgiveness of His unearned favor.  The false and sinful shepherds will not escape merely by means of their title or position, but will also be led into captivity forever (Revelation 13:10).  The Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) will see to satisfying His just wrath of righteous fury for His disobedient creations which continue to reject Him.  The lesson of this account is to hear and heed God’s warning of bad news and receive His good news by hearing and obeying the gospel of eternal deliverance from the fury of the Lord which we all deserve.  This is the grace of God and eternal life (John 17:3, 1 John 5:11, 20) by which we escape the impending judgment on all nations and people, not only in Jeremiah’s day but in the Day to come as well.  Amen!