Reading for September 19th

 Against Babylon 

In Chs. 50-51: These poems form a suitable conclusion to the book. In them the punisher is punished, the destroyer  is destroyed, and the inflictor of pain receives pain. Although earlier parts of the book interpreted Babylon as an agent of God to punish Judah, these poems see Babylon as the aggressor who oppressed Israel. They portray God as a warrior who set right the world's injustices and restores the victim's well-being. The exiles receive a vision of a future in which they will be released from the their captivity, but there is not yet energy for wild hope and dancing (chs. 30-33). 

Read Jeremiah 50.1-20. God's declaration of celebration opens the poem. The phrases express deep feeling in a few words. Babylon is taken and her gods are shamed. The agent of destruction is the mythic foe from the north. In verses 4-10: The fate of Babylon is connected to the fate of Israel, for the coming attack on Babylon will signal the return of Israel and Judah. They will come weeping to seal the covenant with God. In verses 11-16: The plunderers will be destroyed; God commands the army to take position. According to this poetry, the victory is already won, so the celebration may begin. In verses 17-20: God reinterprets Israel's history as a series of attacks upon lost sheep. They are helpless, even if sinners, and they will be pardoned. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 18th

 Read Jeremiah 48.34-39. Elam will be destroyed in a cosmic upheaval, but God will restore their fortune. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 17th

 Read Jeremiah 48.28-33. In verses 28-30: God next addresses the residents of Moab, urging them to flee and accusing them of false pride. In verses 31-33: Surprisingly, God wails for Moab. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 16th

 Read Jeremiah 48.14- 27. In verses 18-20: God warns the capital city, Dibon, addressed as a woman, that she is too is under attack. In verses 21-27: The cities of Moab are about to be destroyed. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 15th

 Read Jeremiah 48.1-13. In 48.1-47: Against Moab. This long poem concerns a traditional and bitter enemy and neighbor of Israel. In verses 1-2: God announces an invasion of Moab, whereupon a voice cries in alarm. Moab's sin is arrogance arising from its wealth and power. In verse 7; Chemosh was the chief God of Moab. In verses 11-12: Because Moab was known for its production of grapes, the poem describes Moab's complacency in terms of wine about to be poured. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 14th

 Read Jeremiah 47.1-7. In 47.1-7: Against the Philistines. There are historical difficulties witht his poem, since Philistia was not a major enemy of israel during this time. Though its city-states along the seacoast continued for a longtime, they ceased to exist as a larger unity during the Babylonian period. In the poetic world of this poem, however, God is the enemy bringing an attacker. In verses 6-7: The poem ends with the "song of the sword" in which the poet addresses God's weapon and begs it to be still, but the sword is unable to deny God's commands. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 13th

 Read Jeremiah 46.13-28. In verse 13: A prose comment identifies the human enemy as Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. In verses 14-25: The battle, however, is really between Apis, the bull-god of Egypt, and the God of Israel. In verse 17: Egypt's king is called Braggart because he boasts about power he never really had. In verses 20-24: Female metaphor's describe Egypt's vulnerability and shame. Egypt's crimes are pride and false claims to power, but the poem assures the exiles that God rules the nations. In verses 27-28: God addresses Israel with words of comfort. Israel is to put aside fear. In their exile God will sustain them and punish their enemies. Comments or Questions..