What is the meaning of Jeremiah 25:29? For behold “For behold” (Jeremiah 25:29) signals an urgent summons to attention. • God Himself is speaking; nothing can annul His decree (Numbers 23:19). • The phrase wakes listeners to the certainty of what follows (Amos 3:7). • It marks a turning point in the prophecy: what used to be future is now unfolding (Habakkuk 2:3). I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name • “The city that bears My Name” is Jerusalem, the place of the temple and covenant worship (1 Kings 11:36). • Judgment starts with God’s own people because privilege brings responsibility (1 Peter 4:17; Ezekiel 9:6). • The “disaster” is literal: Babylon’s siege, famine, fire, and exile (2 Kings 25:8-11). • Yet even in wrath God remembers mercy, preserving a remnant for future restoration (Jeremiah 29:11-14). So how could you possibly go unpunished? • The question is aimed at surrounding nations who imagined immunity while Judah fell (Obadiah 10-14). • God’s justice is impartial; if the covenant city was disciplined, the pagan nations have no shield (Romans 2:5-11). • The rhetorical form underlines inevitability—silencing every excuse (Job 40:4-5). You will not go unpunished • The double repetition drives the point home; God’s word stands firm (Isaiah 55:11). • History verifies it: Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Edom, and Babylon all tasted the same sword they wielded (Jeremiah 25:17-26). • Personal application: sin’s wages are always paid, either at the cross or in personal accountability (Galatians 6:7-8). For I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts • The “sword” pictures war, chaos, and divine retribution (Leviticus 26:25). • “All the inhabitants of the earth” widens the scope from regional to global, foreshadowing the ultimate day of the LORD (Zephaniah 1:14-18; Revelation 19:11-16). • “LORD of Hosts” (Yahweh Sabaoth) portrays God as commander of angelic armies; no nation can resist His muster (Psalm 46:7-9). • The verse therefore bridges immediate historical judgment and the final, eschatological reckoning when Christ returns (Matthew 25:31-32). summary Jeremiah 25:29 teaches that God’s judgment begins with His own people but does not stop there. Jerusalem’s fall proves His holiness; the nations’ subsequent punishment exhibits His impartial justice. The sword He wields reaches every corner of the earth, warning all to repent while affirming that His purposes will prevail. |
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