Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! 26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord God lives.’ 27 Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28 And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. 29 This shall be the sign to you, declares the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: 30 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.” Jeremiah 44 ESV
Jeremiah 44 Defying God For The Queen Of Heaven
Hear the word of the Lord - Though for the most part they would not listen, yet the decrees of God through Jeremiah have gone to many nations in many eras. They read his works in Babylon, and maybe even today some will heed his warning and come out from idolatry.
Chronologically speaking, this was probably Jeremiah’s last recorded prophecy. He ended as he started: faithful to God, trusting in God’s faithfulness. “He had seen his nation decline from a relatively strong independent state to the point of near extinction, and little fruit seemed to have been borne by his ministry. Yet, in these final words, his utter faith in an omnipotent God, and his perception of fundamental truths, are as clear as ever.” (Cundall)
Then confirm your vows - This is a serious judgment, some would think it not such a bad deal, "go and do as you were going to, follow your heart." This is the same as being turned over to madness, and in the end destruction. You are married to it, one with your sin and therefore with it's wages as well.
…27Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,… Romans 1: 27-29
As the Lord God lives - Don't use God's name, don't go praying to Him, for you belong to someone else now. Don't sit in the pew and then offer up thanks to idols. He is the triune God, not the quartet. You make another gospel, you teach idolatry. You cannot take the Lord's supper while pouring out offerings to idols, not to Ishtar, or Mary as many call her these days. You do a great disservice to the mother of Jesus when you pray to her, sing songs of worship to her, because she said herself, from her own mouth she called God, her Savior.
46Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.… Luke 1: 46-48
Whose word will stand, mine or theirs - Wanting something to be true will never make it so. Wishing that your words, thoughts, hopes, feelings, pleasures and warped desires will somehow stand against God's word, that is insanity. A Being, Who can speak things into existence with His words, versus someone that He called into being. Who will win that fight? I know my answer when I was young was, "yeah I believe in God, but I don't believe He is like what you are saying. Oh, all you did was read from some passages in Scripture, well I believe it is kind of God's word, or maybe you are just reading it wrong." People put so many superstitious traditions over God's word in their mind, their feelings and emotions, things that can never establish truth, none of which will ever determine reality.
“For the apostates in Egypt the future held nothing; but for their compatriots in Babylon who were accepting their punishment there was the hope of freedom.” (Kidner)
ii. “A possible footnote to their story has come to light in the Elephantine papyri, a fifth-century bc collection of letters and documents belonging to a military colony of Jews settled on an island of the Nile at the southern frontier of Egypt. A reference to a temple of theirs which had survived a threat of destruction as far back as 525 bc implies that their colony must have been well established at that date – bringing its origin back, if so, to Jeremiah’s time or before. Whether its founders were the men of our chapter or another group, it is interesting to note that their cult is revealed as an unblushing mixture of Israelite and Canaanite religion, such as Jeremiah’s opponents would have thoroughly appreciated.” (Kidner)
I will give Pharaoh Hophra - A sure sign.
I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies: God promised that Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon would come against Egypt (Jeremiah 43:10-13). Here, Jeremiah gave a more specific prophecy of that assured event. - E W
i. “Hophra was actually overthrown by Amasis, one of his officers, who revolted against him and then shared rule with him (Herodotus 2:161-163, 169). Amasis rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in 570 bc and was defeated in 568 bc So sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem, Hophra was dethroned and strangled by some of his subjects. Again Jeremiah was vindicated.” (Feinberg)
1Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3
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