Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"I have sworn by My great name"
Text: Jeremiah 44:26
A SOLEMN DIVINE OATH
The LORD added a strong oath to His word to the Jews living in oath. They had repudiated their faith in the LORD. They had chosen to worship the “queen of heaven” instead.
“Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt:
‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD,
‘that My name shall no more be named
in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying,
‘The Lord GOD lives.’
Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good.
And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt
shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them.
Yet a small number who escape the sword
shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah;
and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there,
shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs.'”
Jeremiah 44:26-28
1. “Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt:
‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD,
‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah
in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘The Lord GOD lives.””
a) This was a solemn word from the LORD.
b) It was given to the Jews who had chosen to live in Egypt:
i) They believed that they would be protected and blessed
by the queen of heaven.
ii) Thus, they worshipped her devotedly.
c) The name of the LORD
i) His name cannot be invoked.
ii) They cannot take an oath in His name anymore.
iii) This was now expressly forbidden.
iv) To use His name would be to take it in vain.
2. “Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good.
And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt
shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them”
a) God will still be watching over the Jews.
b) But it would not be for their good.
c) It would be for their harm.
d) The Jews in Egypt would not enjoy peace as they had hoped.
e) They would perish:
i) By the sword.
ii) By famine.
3. “Yet a small number who escape the sword
shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah;
and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there,
shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs”
a) There would be some who would flee from Egypt.
b) They would try and return to their homeland.
c) But these would be few in number.
4. An important lesson for the Jews in Egypt to learn.
a) They had heard God’s word from the prophet Jeremiah.
b) They had also voiced their word.
c) Whose word would stand in the final hour?
i) The words of the Jews in Egypt?
ii) The words of the LORD faithfully proclaimed Jeremiah the prophet?