271 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah , king of Judah , this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord , saying - 2 thus says the Lord to me-"Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck , 3 and send word to the king of Edom , to the king of Moab , to the king of the sons of Ammon , to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah . 4 "Command them to go to their masters , saying , 'Thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , thus you shall say to your masters , 5 " I have made the earth , the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm , and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight . 6 "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , My servant , and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. 7 " All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes ; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant . 8 "It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon , I will punish that nation with the sword , with famine and with pestilence ," declares the Lord , "until I have destroyed it by his hand . 9 "But as for you, do not listen to your prophets , your diviners , your dreamers , your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying , 'You will not serve the king of Babylon .' 10 "For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land ; and I will drive you out and you will perish . 11 "But the nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land ," declares the Lord , "and they will till it and dwell in it.""'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 27:1-11
Commentary on Jeremiah 27:1-11
(Read Jeremiah 27:1-11)
Jeremiah is to prepare a sign that all the neighbouring countries would be made subject to the king of Babylon. God asserts his right to dispose of kingdoms as he pleases. Whatever any have of the good things of this world, it is what God sees fit to give; we should therefore be content. The things of this world are not the best things, for the Lord often gives the largest share to bad men. Dominion is not founded in grace. Those who will not serve the God who made them, shall justly be made to serve their enemies that seek to ruin them. Jeremiah urges them to prevent their destruction, by submission. A meek spirit, by quiet submission to the hardest turns of providence, makes the best of what is bad. Many persons may escape destroying providences, by submitting to humbling providences. It is better to take up a light cross in our way, than to pull a heavier on our own heads. The poor in spirit, the meek and humble, enjoy comfort, and avoid many miseries to which the high-spirited are exposed. It must, in all cases, be our interest to obey God's will.