◄ Jeremiah 12:12 ►
Over all the barren heights in the wilderness the destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the earth to the other. No flesh has peace.
Study Bible
Over all the barren heights in the wilderness
The "barren heights" refer to the elevated places often used for idol worship in ancient Israel, which were contrary to God's commands. These locations, devoid of vegetation, symbolize spiritual desolation and judgment. The wilderness often represents a place of testing and divine encounter in the Bible, as seen in the Israelites' journey in Exodus. The use of "barren" underscores the absence of life and prosperity, indicating a land under divine judgment.

the destroyers have come
The "destroyers" are likely invaders or foreign armies, such as the Babylonians, who were instruments of God's judgment against Judah for their disobedience and idolatry. This reflects the historical context of the Babylonian exile, where God allowed foreign powers to conquer His people as a consequence of their sins. The term also echoes the broader biblical theme of God using nations to execute His judgment, as seen in Habakkuk 1:6.

for the sword of the LORD devours
The "sword of the LORD" symbolizes divine judgment and wrath. In biblical literature, the sword is often a metaphor for war and destruction, as seen in Isaiah 34:5-6. This phrase indicates that the destruction is not merely a result of human conflict but is orchestrated by God Himself as a response to the people's covenant unfaithfulness. It emphasizes God's sovereignty and justice.

from one end of the earth to the other
This phrase suggests the universality and totality of God's judgment. It implies that no place is exempt from His reach, reflecting the comprehensive nature of divine justice. This can be connected to the eschatological themes in the Bible, where God's final judgment is depicted as encompassing the entire earth, as seen in Revelation 20:11-15.

No flesh has peace
The absence of peace signifies the complete breakdown of societal and spiritual order due to sin and rebellion against God. "No flesh" indicates that all humanity is affected, highlighting the pervasive impact of sin. This aligns with the biblical understanding that true peace is found only in obedience to God and His covenant, as seen in Isaiah 48:22, "There is no peace for the wicked." It also foreshadows the ultimate peace brought by Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
The prophet who conveyed God's messages to the people of Judah, warning them of impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness.

2. The Barren Heights
These are symbolic of places of idolatry and false worship, often where altars to foreign gods were erected.

3. The Wilderness
Represents desolation and a place of testing, often used in the Bible to signify a place of judgment or purification.

4. Destroyers
Likely referring to invading armies or forces used by God as instruments of judgment against Judah.

5. The Sword of the LORD
A metaphor for divine judgment, indicating that the destruction is a direct result of God's will due to the people's disobedience.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Idolatry
Just as Judah faced destruction for their idolatry, we must guard against modern forms of idolatry in our lives, prioritizing God above all else.

God's Sovereignty in Judgment
Recognize that God's judgments are just and serve a purpose in His divine plan. This should lead us to a deeper reverence and awe of His power.

The Call to Repentance
The absence of peace is a call to return to God. In our lives, we should be quick to repent and seek His forgiveness when we stray.

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare
The "sword of the LORD" reminds us of the spiritual battles we face. We must equip ourselves with the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6.

Hope in Restoration
While judgment is severe, God's ultimate plan includes restoration and peace for those who turn back to Him. This should encourage us to persevere in faith.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of "barren heights" and "wilderness" in Jeremiah 12:12 relate to areas in our lives where we might be spiritually barren or desolate?

2. In what ways can we identify and remove modern-day idols that might be leading us away from God, similar to the idolatry faced by Judah?

3. How does understanding God's sovereignty in judgment affect our view of current world events and personal trials?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure we are equipped for spiritual warfare, as suggested by the imagery of the "sword of the LORD"?

5. How can we find hope and assurance in God's promise of restoration, even when facing the consequences of our actions? Consider connections to scriptures that speak of God's mercy and redemption.
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing a backdrop for understanding the consequences faced by Judah.

Isaiah 34
Describes the LORD's judgment on nations, similar to the imagery of the sword devouring the land.

Ezekiel 7
Echoes the theme of impending judgment and the absence of peace due to the people's sins.

Revelation 6
The imagery of the sword and lack of peace is mirrored in the apocalyptic visions of judgment.
Sermons
The Hiding of God's FaceS. Conway Jeremiah 12:7-13
People
Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan River
Topics
Anyone, Bare, Consuming, Desert, Destroyers, Destruction, Devour, Devoureth, Devouring, Devours, Flesh, Heights, Hills, Hilltops, Open, Peace, Places, Plain, Safe, Sends, Spoilers, Swarm, Sword, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 12:12

     5511   safety

Library
Calms and Crises
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Are You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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