Jeremiah 49:7-13. We are nearing the end of the book of Jeremiah. Most of Jeremiah was a collection of messages he delivered from God to the people of Judah. Judah was the southern part of the once great nation of Israel. That nation was divided after the reign of King Solomon. The northern part or kingdom is usually called Israel in the Bible, even though it was only a part of the original nation. Here at the end of the book there are a collection of messages to different kingdoms, nations, or people groups in that part of the world. So far we have looked at messages to Egypt, a people group known as the Philistines, Moab or the Moabite people and the Ammonites. Although Jeremiah was a Jewish or Israelite prophet he was chosen by God to be a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:2). Although the Jewish or Israelite people were chosen by God to be a special example to the world and were given special promises just for them we need to remember that God is the God of all people and loves and is interested in all of us (For more see “The Old Testament Connection”). By the way we need to remember that the whole book of Jeremiah was collected together and that the messages were not written at the same time. A big part of the book was probably put together about 605 BC (the fourth year of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:1-2), remember the scroll that Jehoiakim cut up and burned?). If that scroll was used as part of the book of Jeremiah that is included in our Bibles it is obvious that more was added to it since some of the messages involve stuff that happened after 605 BC. If you haven’t already done so remember to read the “Intro to Jeremiah” for more about the book. It’s important to remember that the book isn’t a chronological history of Jeremiah or his messages (It’s not a time line). The messages to the nations here at the end were probably originally delivered at different times throughout Jeremiah’s life. I think that this is important because the world isn’t something that God stuck on at the end, God cares about all of us all along.

Today’s reading is a message to Edom or the Edomite people. The people we call Jews are descendants of a guy named Jacob. Later God changed his name to Israel and the more correct name for this people group or family is Israelites (the word Jew is from the name of the southern kingdom Judah, Judahites was shortened to Jews and is now used for descendants of all twelve of the tribes of Israel not just the two tribes that made up Judah). Jacob was a twin (fraternal not identical if you care about those sorts of things). His twin was named Esau. Esau was actually born first and, according to the custom of the day, should have taken over the family when their father Isaac died. Because of some bad decisions and deceptive actions Esau gave up this “birthright” and Jacob tricked their father into confirming him as the leader just before his death. In those days “blessings” (good or hopeful words, sort of wishes that God would often honor) were given to children by parents (mostly fathers). The effects of some blessings (and curses too) continued for several generations. Usually the “blessings” would pass from oldest to oldest. God uses blessings and curses too, his are more serious because they are always real and have his power behind them. In the case of Isaac and Jacob the “blessing” or promise that God made to Abraham (about land and many descendants and most importantly about one of his descendants being a “blessing” to the nations) was passed to Abraham’s oldest son, Isaac, and to Isaac’s second oldest son, Jacob. As I said the pattern was broken because Esau sold his “birthright” to his brother (for a bowl of stew) and Isaac was tricked into confirming Jacob as the recipient when Jacob pretended to be Esau as Isaac was passing on blessings before he died. This situation created a great deal of hatred for Jacob (Israel) by Esau (Genesis 27). Evidently the stew that Jacob gave to Esau was redish in color and because of the trade of the birthright for some of the stew Esau’s name was changed to Edom, which means “red” (Genesis 25:30). The hatred that began between those two brothers extended across many generations and continued into the days of the Jeremiah (Some time check out that story in Genesis 27, Isaac’s “blessing” for Esau seems more like a curse than a blessing and seems to have set up this feud).

The Edomites lived in the desert east and south of the Dead Sea all the way down to the Gulf of Aquaba (about 100 miles long but only about 20 mile wide). Their territory basically was on both sides of and followed a major road from Egypt up along the eastern edge of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River (The Kings Highway). According to the “blessing” given to Esau by Issac he would “live away from the dew of Heaven (think desert) and would live by the sword.” Living in the hills along the major caravan route from the south would be a good place if you lived the life of robbers. The Edomites mostly submitted to both the Assyrian and Babylonian powers when they ruled the region but for some reason were a part of the group of kingdoms that sent representatives to Jerusalem and thought about revolting against Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) about 594 BC (See Jeremiah 27:3).

In verse 7 Yahweh (LORD) asks if there is no longer any wisdom in Teman. Teman was a grandson of Esau and his name became a way of reffering to Edom. According to the prophet Obadiah, the Edomites were know for their wisdom. It’s interesting that this verse sort of assumes that their wisdom was real. Some Christians believe that mankind has absolutely no ability to think correctly, they call the idea “utter depravity”, here in verse 7 we see that the Edomites had some sort of ‘wisdom” in the past and God is asking if it gone, has been lost, or has decayed. In verse 8 God warns people of Dedan to flee. As with many names in the Bible Dedan refers to a group of people and also to a place (often cities were named after the group that started them). Experts are not sure exactly where Dedan was but most believe it was not in the territory of Edom. There were people from Dedan living in Edom though and in verse 8 God is warning them to leave because he is about to destroy Edom.

Verses 9-10 use the image of workers picking grapes in the field to describe how bad the destruction is going to be. When God gave rules to Moses for the Israelite people to live by one of the laws was that workers were to pass through a field only once picking the grapes or whatever. They also were not to stop and pick up anything that they dropped or pick all the way to the corners of the field. This left over fruit was for poor and needy people who were allowed to come and clean up the field. The process of picking up the left over stuff was called gleaning (Leviticus 19:9-10). Unlike the field workers God was going to completely strip Edom of anything useful. Jeremiah also used the idea of robbers or thieves. When thieves break into a house at night they only take a little not wanting to take too much time and risk getting caught. Unlike the careful thieves God was going to completely search Edom, looking into all the hiding places and destroy all the Edomites.

In verse 11 there is hope for some though, the Edomites are told to leave their orphans behind and God will take care of them and the widows also can trust in him. It is interesting how this fits with the image of the gleaning law that God used as a contrast for his actions toward the Edomites. Throughout this section we are not specifically told what the Edomites had done wrong but the reference to wisdom in verse 7 gives us a hint. In Romans 1:18-32 Paul told the believers in Rome that God’s wrath (the kind of thing we see going on here with the Edomites) come because men ignore the evidence of God’s existence that they see in the created world and understood deep inside of their minds and hearts. Those people who started to deny God’s existence told every one how wise they were but they were really fools. They started treating created things like they were God and also acted in ways that did not respect how God wants all of us to act. The Edomites were probably guilty of this sort of denial of God and his rules. The destruction of Edom shows that God’s punishment is not just for the Israelites who had God’s specific laws given to them but to everyone who ignores the signs of who God is (see Romans 1:20). On the other hand the widows and orphans of Edom were protected by God just like the widows and orphans in Israel were protected as seen in the law of gleaning. Both God punishment and his protection or provision are available for everyone not just the Israelites. This is very clear with respect to Jesus who was given for our sins and the sins of the whole world because God loves everyone (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2). Sadly, like the Edomites, not every one will take advantage of God love and forgiveness, and many will suffer destruction.

In verse 12 we see this “whole world” application of God’s justice. God tells the Edomites that they would not escape since they were guilty, if God would not ignore the sins (disobedience and rebellion) of people who were not originally intended to “drink the cup” (a way of referring to God’s punishment) he would not ignore the sins of the Edomites. Bible experts debate who the “people who were not sentenced to drink the cup” were but I think it’s talking about the people of Judah who Jeremiah had also been warning (or possibly all of the Israelite people). Since they had been give direct and specific rules by God they had the best chance of not breaking the rules. Unfortunately they broke the rules like all of us do and did suffer the punishment of God. In verse 13 the LORD (Yahweh, the personal name of the one true God) confirms that he will punish evil and wrong. Bozrah was one of the leading Edomite cities and is used to represent Edom. What God was going to do in Edom would horrify any who saw it. The example of Edom would be a perpetual example of what happens when you deny and ignore Yahweh.

I like it that the widows and orphans of Edom were going to be protected. It shows me that God is fair and caring as well as just. It also shows me that God cares about everyone not just the Jewish people. I also like it that mankind does have knowledge and wisdom that makes it possible to at least look toward God. Paul made it very clear in Romans 1:16-17 that the good news of Jesus sacrifice for us is necessary for us to be a part of God’s forever kingdom. But the fact that God cared for the widows and orphans of Edom tells me that God will make sure that those people who respond to what they already know about God (internally and through the evidence of creation) will hear what they need to know about Jesus in order to fix their broken relationship with God. God loved the world and Jesus died for all, God will not waste that sacrifice, only we can throw it away.

Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins. Thank you for loving me even when I was ignoring you. Thank you for showing me the way. Thank you for teaching me about Jesus. Help me share the good news with others. Thank you for caring.