NOTES for Jer 27:1-22

The Lord sends Jeremiah not only to the king of Judah but also to the kings of the neighbouring pagan states, from many of which the Israelites were separated by age-old enmity. After so many denunciations of pagan wickedness, such concern may come as a surprise: if Judah has brought retribution upon itself through its own sins, then for outright pagans, far more deeply mired in sin, the coming invasion must seem an immeasurably more just and deserved retribution. But now we see that the Lord does not want the pagans to perish and offers them life.

And so entire peoples face a difficult choice: to preserve their lives at the cost of surrender, or to die in battle without surrendering? We know many examples of both individual warriors and peoples choosing the latter. There were such examples in the history of ancient Israel as well, so even those who trusted Jeremiah remembered that not everyone who called for arms to be laid down before an invader spoke from God as he did.

But we also see that peoples afflicted by pagan wickedness are following the path of death; even victory will not protect them from it. In this particular situation, even defeat will not be more destructive—and not only because those who acknowledge Nebuchadnezzar's rule will have a chance to survive. Accepting foreign rule as a deserved punishment may become the beginning of a long and difficult, yet necessary, cleansing from sins and their consequences.