Devotions

Israel Will Dispossess his Dispossessors

by  • 

The Lord was using Nebuchednezzar to bring judgement on Judah and all of the surrounding nations. Each nation has its own outcome. Seventy year exile for Israel and of the land of Hazor, it says “a waste forever; no one will live there” in Jeremiah 49:33. For Edom, the reason for judgement is clear in Jeremiah 49:16 “the pride of your heart”. And at the end, Babylon itself will be judged. In the end, the Lord honors his promises and delivers righteous judgement. Knowing this, we can look at a map of Israel today and know that the land East of the Jordan that was given to Manasseh and Gad and Reuben, will come back into their possession. 

Israel Will Dispossess his Dispossessors

Jeremiah 49:1–6
During this time, the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes, had been dispersed and their land overtaken. From the Exodus, and according to the Lords dividing of the land, Gad, Manasseh, and Reuben where on the East side of Jordan, but not encroaching on the territory the Lord had promised to Lots descendants, Ammon which was East of Gad and Moab which was East of the Dead Sea, half-way down, South of Reuben.

“Three times Lot is mentioned in non-narrative texts. Twice in Deuteronomy (2:9, 19) Israel is commanded not to engage Moab or Ammon in battle since the Lord promised them territory for being Lot’s children. The other reference (Ps 83:8) lists Lot’s children (i.e., Moabites and Ammonites) among Israel’s adversaries”.1

The territory of the Ammonites was promised to them as Lots descendants and in Jeremiah 49:6 “I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,” declares Yahweh”. But the Lord also promises the land to the sons of Israel and says in Jeremiah 49:2 “Then Israel will dispossess his dispossessors,”. 

O You Who Dwell in the Clefts of the Rock

Jeremiah 49:7–22
This was the land, Edom, that “was inhabited by the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau (Gen. 36:1–17). Edom took advantage of Judah’s plight in 586 and occupied southern Judah”.2

Esau sold his birthright for a stew in Genesis 25:30 and took wives from the Canaanites. “The naming of Edom’s progenitor, reprobated by God, recalls the remembrance of the old curse on him for his profanity, both his sin and its punishment being perpetuated in his descendants (Heb 12:16, 17)”.3

Now, the Lord says of them in

Jeremiah 49:16 Your terror has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, you who seize the height of the hill. Though you make your nest high like the eagle, from there I will bring you down,” declares Yahweh.

 

All the Soldiers Will Perish

Jeremiah 49:23–27
For Damascus, their demise will happen quickly, because the prophet notes the city was not abandoned in

Jeremiah 49:25 How the city of praise has not been abandoned! The city of my joy!

and the “city of my joy refers to the “Powerful Damascus, the once-proud capital of the Syrian régime (Isa. 7:8) … ‘how completely deserted the city is!’ Verse 26 is repeated in 50:30, while verse 27 is cited from Amos 1:4.4

Fear comes in Jeremiah 49:24 and in Jeremiah 49:26 “her young men will fall in her public squares, and all the soldiers will perish in that day” and fire devours in Jeremiah 49:27.

I Will Scatter to Every Wind

Jeremiah 49:28–33
One word summarizes the action for people of this region in Jeremiah 49:30 “Flee”. The Lord is talking about Kedar and Hazor where “Kedar (cf. 2:10) designated a nomadic Arab tribe living in the Syro-Arabian desert, but used also to denote Bedouin generally. They bred sheep (Isa. 60:7), traded with Phoenicia (Ezek. 27:21) and were skilled archers (Isa. 21:16f.)”.4

But here, the Lord is clear about the attack coming by Nebuchadnezzer, “The war poem contains two summons to attack (vv. 28, 33), each followed by a list of the plunder (vv. 29, 32) and the scattering of the fugitives (vv. 30, 32)”.5

The Pride of Your Heart Has Deceived You

Obadiah 1–9

Because of the Violence to Your Brother

Obadiah 10–14

Your Deeds Will Return on Your Own Head

Obadiah 15–18

The Kingdom Will Belong to Yahweh (the Lord)

Obadiah 19–21

Our Iniquities Testify Against Us

Jeremiah 14:1–10

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Jeremiah 49:1-33
  • Obadiah 1-21
  • Jeremiah 14:1-10

References

  • 1. Spina, F. A. (1992). Lot (Person). In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 4, p. 372). New York: Doubleday.
  • 2. Martens, E. A. (1995). Jeremiah. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 548). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
  • 3. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 554). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 4. Harrison, R. K. (1973). Jeremiah and Lamentations: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 21, p. 184). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
  • 5. Martens, E. A. (1995). Jeremiah. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 549). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.