1 Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;
2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,
3 And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.
4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.
7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
8 And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.
10 Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,
11 And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
12 Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:
13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
14 Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD's house; and said to all the people,
15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
Chapter 19 of the book of Jeremiah in the King James Version (KJV) Holy Bible continues the narrative of the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah, a prophet who served during a tumultuous period in the history of Judah. This chapter is marked by the symbolic act of breaking a potter's earthen bottle, representing the impending destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. The main themes of this chapter are divine judgement, the consequences of idolatry, and the inevitable destruction due to disobedience to God.
The chapter begins with a specific command from God to Jeremiah. God instructs Jeremiah to buy a potter's earthen bottle and take with him some of the elders of the people and elders of the priests to the valley of the son of Hinnom. This choice of location is not arbitrary. The valley of the son of Hinnom, also known as Tophet, is a place associated with idol worship, particularly the abominable practice of child sacrifice to the god Molech. God's instruction to Jeremiah to go to this specific location underscores the gravity of the sin of the people of Judah and their leaders.
Once at the valley, Jeremiah is commanded to proclaim the words that God would put into his mouth. Jeremiah, speaking thus says the Lord, declares that God would bring such evil upon this place that it would cause the ears of those who hear it to tingle. The judgement proclaimed is severe. God declares that He would make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in that place, and He would cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies. The city would be besieged, and in their desperation, the people would resort to cannibalism, eating the flesh of their sons and daughters.
Following the proclamation of judgement, Jeremiah performs a symbolic act. He breaks the potter's earthen bottle in the sight of the men who accompanied him. This act symbolizes the impending destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. Just as the bottle is broken beyond repair, so too would God break the city and the people. The city would be defiled, filled with the corpses of the people whom God would slay in His anger and wrath.
Jeremiah's prophetic message in this chapter underscores the serious consequences of idolatry. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had forsaken God, turning instead to worship idols. They had even gone so far as to burn their sons and daughters in the fire as offerings to Baal, a practice which God declares He had not commanded, nor had it entered into His heart. The judgement that would befall them was a direct consequence of their idolatry and disobedience to God.
A key theme that emerges from this chapter is the inevitability of divine judgement. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had strayed far from God, and their sin had reached a point where judgement was inevitable. The breaking of the potter's bottle symbolized the irreversible nature of this judgement. Just as the broken bottle could not be made whole again, so too the judgement that would befall Judah and Jerusalem could not be averted.
Jeremiah's role as a prophet was to act as a mouthpiece for God, delivering His messages to the people. In this chapter, Jeremiah's prophetic warning serves as a final call to the people of Judah and Jerusalem to turn from their wicked ways. The severity of the judgement pronounced underscores the seriousness of their sin. However, it also highlights God's desire for His people to repent and turn back to Him.
In conclusion, Jeremiah Chapter 19 is a vivid portrayal of the severe judgement that awaits those who forsake God and turn to idolatry. The breaking of the potter's earthen bottle serves as a powerful symbol of the irreversible and complete destruction that would befall Judah and Jerusalem as a result of their sin. However, in the midst of the judgement, there is also a glimmer of hope. The prophetic warning serves as a call to repentance, an invitation to the people to turn back to God and avert the impending disaster. This chapter serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin, but also of the mercy and compassion of God who desires not the death of the sinner, but their repentance and return to Him.
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