Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place"
Text: Jeremiah 40:2
THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD
Nebuzaradan was called “the captain of the guard”. The word “captain” means “chief” or “head” of the officers Nebuchadnezzar had appointed to supervise the land of Judah after it had been captured. Nebuzaradan was given immense authority.
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD
after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah,
when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.
And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him:
‘The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place.'”
Jeremiah 40:1-2
1. “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan
the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah,
when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive
from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon”
a) Jeremiah and all other prisoners were bound in chains.
b) Many of the captives were to be exiled to Babylon as captives.
c) The LORD continued to speak to Jeremiah.
d) Jeremiah was initially sent to Ramah, his hometown.
e) Some others were taken from Jerusalem and other parts of Judah.
f) Jeremiah was found among all the other prisoners awaiting to be sent to Babylon.
2. “And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him: ‘The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place'”
a) The captain of the guard would not have known Jeremiah personally.
b) Obviously, God had given a word to free Jeremiah from his chains.
c) Nebuzaradan spoke to Jeremiah forthrightly.
i) He declared that it was the LORD who had pronounced the doom
against Judah.
ii) The whole land would be destroyed by the Babylonians.
iii) But it was the LORD who had pronounced the doom on Judah.