Approaching studies within Jeremiah, instead of trying to follow chronologically, which is difficult with this book, for roughly the first half of the book, the first 29 chapters, we will instead only produce studies within their appropriate chapters, theming them as follows:

• Jeremiah’s Calling                     Ch.1
• Jeremiah’s Main Message        Ch.2,3,5,7,21,22
• Jeremiah’s Action Parables      Ch.13,18,19,27
• Jeremiah’s Opposition              Ch.11,12,14,18,20,26,28
• Jeremiah’s Message of Hope   Ch.3,23,24,25,29

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, and the particular theme, as with studies elsewhere, each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read on the main Bible page.

Jeremiah’s Action Parables: 4 – The Yoke

Jer 27:1-11

1 Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. ³ Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. ⁴ Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: ⁵ With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. ⁷ All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him.

⁸ “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. ¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the Lord.”’”

A. Find Out:

1. To whom was Jeremiah to speak? v.3
2. What does the Lord say about Himself? v.5
3. What is he going to do? v.6,7
4. What will happen to those who refuse this yoke? v.8
5. Who were speaking against this? v.9
6. What will happen to those who wear this yoke? v.11

B. Think:

1. How has God’s word gone “international”?
2. What is God’s purpose for this whole area?
3. Who will be survivors?

C. Comment:

We have now moved on to Zedekiah’s reign when he is obviously getting together with the envoys from the surrounding kingdoms, perhaps to form an alliance against the Babylonians.  The Lord takes this opportunity to bring a graphic picture to these men to take back to their masters.

Jeremiah has to take and wear a yoke that was worn by oxen and show himself to these envoys and bring God’s word to them.  That word is shocking:  God is going to make Nebuchadnezzar ruler over all of them, despite what their false prophets and mediums say.  The Lord is obviously going to bring a uniform rule to this whole area, perhaps so that in the days to come when His people return to Israel they won’t have opposition. God’s word further says that He wants these nations to accept this “yoke”, this being bound to the Babylonians, and if they won’t accept this then He will bring death to them. 

This was quite a remarkable period of history when the Lord took one ungodly nation to chastise and rule over other ungodly nations.  The Lord who is concerned to bring righteousness and blessing to His people, sometimes does it in what to us might seem unorthodox ways!

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord that He is concerned with ALL the world.
2. Thank Him that he is working to bring righteousness and peace to the world.