Jeremiah 6:17

6:9-17 When the Lord arises to take vengeance, no sinners of any age or rank, or of either sex escape. They were set upon the world, and wholly carried away by the love of it. If we judge of this sin by God's word, we find multitudes in every station and rank given up to it. Those are to be reckoned our worst and most dangerous enemies, who flatter us in a sinful way. Oh that men would be wise for their souls! Ask for the old paths; the way of godliness and righteousness has always been the way God has owned and blessed. Ask for the old paths set forth by the written word of God. When you have found the good way, go on in it, you will find abundant recompence at your journey's end. But if men will not obey the voice of God and flee to his appointed Refuge, it will plainly appear at the day of judgment, that they are ruined because they reject God's word.

Also I set watchmen over you,.... That is, prophets, as Jarchi; true prophets, as Kimchi; such an one was Ezekiel, Jeremiah 3:17 . The Targum interprets it teachers; such were the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel; and all faithful preachers of it, who teach men good doctrine and watch for their souls, give them warning of their danger, and exhort them to flee to Christ for rest and safety; and these are of the Lord's appointing, constituting, and setting in his churches; see 1 Corinthians 12:28 . Saying, hearken to the sound of the trumpet; to their voice, lifted up like a trumpet, Isaiah 58:1, to the word preached by them; to the law, which lays before them their sin and danger; and to the Gospel, which is a joyful sound, and gives a certain one, and proclaims peace, pardon, and salvation, by Christ: but they said, we will not hearken; so the Jews, in the times of Christ and his apostles, turned a deaf ear to their ministry, contradicted and blasphemed the Gospel, and judged themselves unworthy of it, and of eternal life, brought to light by it. Perhaps here it may regard the punishments threatened the Jews by the prophets, which they would not believe were coming upon them, but put away the evil day far from them.

Verse 17. - Also I set ; rather, and I kept raising up (the frequentative perfect). Watchmen ; i . e . prophets ( Ezekiel 3:17 , and part of Isaiah 52:8 ; Isaiah 56:10 ). Hearken , etc. probably the words of Jehovah. Standing on their high watch-tower ( Habakkuk 2:1 ), the prophets scrutinize the horizon for the first appearance of danger, and give warning of it by (metaphorically) blowing a trumpet (so Amos 3:6 ). Jeremiah 6:17

(17) Watchmen. —i.e., the sentinels of the army, as in 1Samuel 14:16 , giving the signal in this case, not for advance but for retreat (comp. Jeremiah 6:1 , and Amos 3:6 ). The watchmen are, of course (as in Isaiah 52:8 ; Isaiah 56:10 ; Ezekiel 3:17 ; Habakkuk 2:1 ), the prophets blowing the trumpet of alarm, proclaiming, as in Jeremiah 6:1 , the nearness of the invader, and calling on them to flee from the wrath of Jehovah. They call, however, in vain. The people refuse to hearken.

Watchmen, viz. prophets and messengers, that sought their good, and endeavoured to prevent their miseries by foretelling what was coming upon them, Ezekiel 3:17 33:7 A metaphor from watchmen , that are usually set upon high places to espy out dangers afar off. The sound of the trumpet; either the voice of his prophets, which is compared to a trumpet, Isaiah 58:1 , intimating his loud crying upon the account of imminent danger; for men do not use to sound the trumpet till danger be approaching; or the trumpet of that enemy, Jeremiah 4:19,21 . We will not hearken; more of their obstinacy suitable to their carriage, Jeremiah 6:16 .

But God does not let the matter end here. He caused prophets to rise up amongst them, who called their attention to the threatening evil. Watchers are prophets, Ezekiel 3:17 , who stand upon the watch-tower to keep a lookout, Habakkuk 2:1 , and to give the people warning, by proclaiming what they have seen in spirit. "Hearken to the sound," etc., are not the words of the watchmen (prophets), for it is they who blow the trumpet, but the words of God; so that we have to supply, "and I said." The comparison of the prophets to watchmen, who give the alarm of the imminent danger by means of the sound of the trumpet, involves the comparison of the prophets' utterances to the clang of the signal-horn-suggested besides by Amos 3:6 .

She had in her first awakening shrunk from them, seeking Jesus Christ alone; but she was desired to seek the footsteps of the flock (So 1:8), so now in her second trial she goes forth to them of herself. "The more the soul grows in grace, and the less it leans on ordinances, the more it prizes and profits by them" [M OODY S TUART ] (Psalms 73:16, 17). found him not —Nothing short of Jesus Christ can satisfy her (Job 23:8-10; Psalms 63:1, 2). 3. watchmen —ministers (Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 3:17; Hebrews 13:17), fit persons to consult (Isaiah 21:11; Malachi 2:7). found me —the general ministry of the Word "finds" individually souls in quest of Jesus Christ (Genesis 24:27, end of verse Acts 16:14); whereas formalists remain unaffected. ## 4. Jesus Christ is generally "found" near the watchmen and means of grace; but they are not Himself; the star that points to Beth-lehem is not the Sun that has risen there; she hastens past the guideposts to the goal [M OODY S TUART ]. Not even angels could satisfy Mary, instead of Jesus Christ (John 20:11-16). found him —(Isaiah 45:19; Hosea 6:1-3; Matthew 13:44-46). held him, &c.—willing to be held; not willing, if not held (Genesis 32:26; Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:28, 29; Revelation 3:11). "As a little weeping child will hold its mother fast, not because it is stronger than she, but because her bowels constrain her not to leave it; so Jesus Christ yearning over the believer cannot go, because He will not" [D URHAM ].

[Bible] 6:6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her trees, cast up a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited, all oppression is in the midst of her. 6:7. As a cistern maketh its water cold, so hath she made her wickedness cold: violence and spoil shall be heard in her, infirmity and stripes are continually before me. 6:8. Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land uninhabited. 6:9. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: They shall gather the remains of Israel, as in a vine, even to one cluster: turn back thy hand, as a grapegatherer into the basket. 6:10. To whom shall I speak? and to whom shall I testify, that he may hear? behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold the word of the Lord is become unto them a reproach: and they will not receive it. 6:11. Therefore am I full of the fury of the Lord, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the child abroad, and upon the council of the young men together: for man and woman shall be taken, the ancient and he that is full of days. 6:12. And their houses shall be turned over to others, with their lands and their wives together: for I will stretch forth my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord. 6:13. For from the least of them even to the greatest, all are given to covetousness: and from the prophet even to the priest, all are guilty of deceit. 6:14. And they healed the breach of the daughter of my people disgracefully, saying: Peace, peace: and there was no peace. 6:15. They were confounded, because they committed abomination: yea, rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush: wherefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall fall down, saith the Lord. 6:16. Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it: and you shall find refreshment for your souls. And they said: We will not walk.