Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_600_p.lzh/5_633.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-15 | 7KB | 128 lines

were inclined to go; and hoped to have a word from
the Lord by the prophet, to direct them thither.
Ver. 3. That the Lord thy God may shew us the way
wherein we may walk, &c.] Not the way of their duty
as to religious wo.rship, or their moral conversation,
which was the way of God's commandments, and had
been shewn them, and they knew it; but which way
they should steer their course for their safety; they had
departed froth Mizpah of themselves, and had taken
up their dwelling at Geruth-chimham, in the way to
Egypt; whither they had set their faces, and where
their hearts were, only they wanted the Lord's sanction
for it, pretending they would be directed by him: and
the thing that we should do; the steps they should take
in order to proceed; and what they should do before
they quilted their own country, and went into another.
Vet. 4. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them,
I have heard you, &c.] He took notice of what they
said to him, and found himself disposed to comply
with their request, and readily granted it: behold, I
will pray unto the Lord your God, according to your
words; be an intercessor for them; use his interest
with his God, and their God; and, on account of re-
lation, might expect to be heard; whom he would
humbly entreat to direct what they should do, as they
desired: and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing
the. Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; 1
will keep nothing back from you; but faithfully make
known the whole mind and will of God, just as it is
delivered, be it in what way soever: and though it is
not expressed, he might suggest that he had some
doubt on his mind whether they would obey it or no;
and that he expected they would be open and free in
declaring themselves on that point; since he had so
readily complied with their request, and was deter-
mined to act the faithful part to them; hence the fol-
lowing reply:
Vet. 5. Then they said to Jeremiah, the Lord be a
true and faithful witness between us, &c.] Which is
the form of an oath; a solemn appeal to God, as a
witness to what they were about to say, and to the
sincerity of their hearts in it; who is true to Iris word,
and faithful to his promises and threatenings; and who
bears a true and faithful testimony, and will do what
is just and right; and yet these people never intended
to perform what they promised; which is a most
shocking piece of atheism in a professing people; and
who, at this very time, could not but observe tHE
judgments of God upon their nation, city, and temple:
if we do not even according to all things for the which the
Lord thy God shall send thee to us; they promise to do
every thing the Lord should signify by the prophet as
his will; and, if they did not, wish the severest judg-
ments of God might fall upon them.
Ver. 6. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, &c.]
Not morally good, or evil; for nothing but what is
good, and not evil, in this sense, can come from God;
but whether pleasantly or profitably good or evil;
whether agreeable or disagreeable, pleasing or dis-
pleasing, advantageous or not; whether it seemed to
them good or evil, be it what it would in their opinion
and esteem: we will obey the voice of the Lord our God,
to whom we send thee; this was we{l spoken, had they
been sincere in it; and had they implored and de-
pended on the grace of God to have enabled them to
obey; but they spoke not in the uprightness of their
hearts; and, did they, it was with too much confidence
of their own strength, and the power of their free will:
that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the
Lord our God; they spoke as if they knew their own
interest; for so it was, that it was well or ill with those
people, as they obeyed or disobeyed the voice of the
Lord; and yet they acted not according to it; and,
what was worse still, did not intend it. What a
wretched scene of hypocrisy is here!
Ver. 7. And it came to pass after ten days, that the
word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah.] Abarbinei.
thinks it was on the tenth day of the seventh month,
the day of atonement, that the answer was returned;
but it is clear, from the context, that it was ten days
from the time the Jews applied to the prophet to in-
quire of the Lord for them, and he promised to do it,
that this word came from the Lord to him; not that
he was praying all this while, as some think; but,
having spread the case before the Lord, he waited for
an answer; which was deferred, that it might have the
greater weight with it when it came; and that it might
appear that it was not of the prophet himself, a device
of his own; and chiefly this was to mortify these
people, who were impatient of an answer; and whose
hypocrisy the Lord knew; and whose disobedience
he foresaw; and therefore did not think fit to give
the answer directly, but keep them in suspense
awhile.
Vet. 3. Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah,
&c.] That is, Jeremiah, as soon as he had received
the answer from the Lord, called to Johanan; who,
after the death of Gedaliah, was a person of the greatest
authority, and had the command of the people, to
come unto him, and hear what it was: he either called
to him vocally and by name; or he sent a proper mes-
senger to him, to meet him at some convenient place,
to receive it; and not him only, but all the captains of
the forces which were with him, and all the people, from
the least even unto the greatest; they were all convened
together, as it was proper they should, to hear the
word of the Lord; and the rather, since they all joined
m a request to the prophet, yet. 1.
Ver. 9. And said unto them, thus saith the Lord, the
God of Israel, &c.] That had chosen Israel; had a
fayour for that people, and bestowed many blessings
on them, and continued in a covenant-relation to them;
and therefore what he said should be regarded by
them. This preface is made by the prophet, to shew
that what he was about to say was not of himself, and
in his own name; but was from the Lord, and who
bore a good will to them; and therefore whatever he
 uld be taken in good part, and as what was
best for them: unto whom ye sent me, to present your
supplication before him; or, to cause your supplication
to fall before him t; to make it in the most humble and
submissive manner; and which carries in it other ar-
guments to engage them to obey the word of the Lord
he brought to them; both because they had sent him

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