Jeremiah 13:1-27
A prophetic message achieved by traveling far north of Judah to the Euphrates River. Urgent pleas were given forewarning of an irreversible threshold of damnation just ahead: Thematically united with the former messages, and progressive, another series of events takes place for the emphasis of a single message. The Prophet was instructed to hide a linen girdle at the Euphrates river, which was far north of Judah, so it would have been quite a trip to go there, hide it, and return to get it after many days (Jer. 13:1-7). Clearly this was not during Babylon’s presence in the Land of Israel or Judah, otherwise such traveling would have been impossible. The Lord was intent upon showing Judah’s sin in respect to how close they were made to cleave unto the Living God (“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” – Jer. 13:11), and, even still “they would not hear”! Pitiless destruction approached (Jer. 13:14)! The desperate voice of Jeremiah could be heard from street to street and gate to gate all throughout the Cities of Judah, saying, “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. 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.” (Jer. 13:16-17). Jeremiah waxes even more bold as he appeals to the common people of the Land, saying, “Say unto the King and to the Queen, Humble yourselves, sit down” (Jer. 13:18)! And, on the backside of this charge, the Lord proclaimed the unprecedented warning: a whole-population Captivity with not a single man left in the Cities of Judah! He said, “Judah shall be carried away captive ALL OF IT, it shall be WHOLLY carried away captive” (Jer. 13:19). At the 6th Captivity of Judah to Babylon it would be accomplished. Nevertheless, the people were dumbfounded, and inquired, “Wherefore come these evil things upon me” (Jer. 13:22).