Jeremiah 25:27-38--The Cup of the LORD's Wrath

Jeremiah 25:27-38
English Standard Version

27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’

28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! 29 For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.’

30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:

“‘The LORD will roar from on high,
    and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
    and shout, like those who tread grapes,
    against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the LORD has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
    and the wicked he will put to the sword,
declares the LORD.’

32 “Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Behold, disaster is going forth
    from nation to nation,
and a great tempest is stirring
    from the farthest parts of the earth!

33 “And those pierced by the LORD on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground.

34 “Wail, you shepherds, and cry out,
    and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock,
for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come,
    and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
35 No refuge will remain for the shepherds,
    nor escape for the lords of the flock.
36 A voice—the cry of the shepherds,
    and the wail of the lords of the flock!
For the LORD is laying waste their pasture,
37     and the peaceful folds are devastated
    because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 Like a lion he has left his lair,
    for their land has become a waste
because of the sword of the oppressor,
    and because of his fierce anger.”

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The LORD is telling the people at this point to just continue wallowing in their drunkenness and numbing themselves with alcohol.  At this point, the judgment is coming upon them, and if they are drunk, it will make it easier for them to be conquered.  However, they will be drinking of the cup of the wrath of God this time.  What if there were those that understood what it was to drink of the cup of the wrath of God and refused to drink?  The LORD says that Jeremiah should tell such a person that the LORD requires them to drink--they must all drink  Why?  Because the LORD has begun the work of judging them already, and no one will escape His judgment and wrath.

They will hear the voice of the LORD roar like thunder in the heavens and it will roar against His sheepfold--the house of Israel and the peoples of the nation of Judah.  The LORD will shout His indictment against His people so that all the nations will hear it and know why they are being judged by Him.  He is getting dressed to make war--only this time, it is not to defend His people, but to go to war against them.

The other nations around Israel will also be judges as the calamity will spread from nation to nation.  It will be like a big, powerful, destructive storm.  Nothing will be able to stand against it or resist its destructive power or fury.  No one can tell it to be muzzled (except the Creator, and He is the one behind this "storm").

There will be so many dead bodies in that day that there will be no opportunity for funerals and mourning.  The bodies will simply be disposed of in the same way that dung and refuse are taken care of--cast aside to be burned with fire.  This would be a symbol of the eternal fire that awaited those who died in rebellion to the LORD.

Once the judgment starts happening, the priests and Levites and kings and leaders of the people are going to make a big show of mourning and putting on a play that they are broken and contrite to try to manipulate the LORD to change His mind, but He will know it as all a show and there is no true repentance there from the leaders.  They too will be caught up in the judgment.  Being leaders will not help them escape.

The LORD will lay waste to the pastureland and turn the entire Land into a wasteland.  It will no longer be the Land flowing with milk and honey for them.  For the enemies that will try to take the good that the LORD promised to His people, it will not be productive.  It will produce only thorns and thistles for them.  They will wonder how it was that the Land ever produced so well for the nations of Israel and Judah.  It was the LORD's hand of blessing, but His blessing and favor will not be on those who are not His people.  He is coming to make war against the people that call themselves "the house of God" and the "children of God."  Judgment will start there first, but it will not end there.