Jeremiah Chapter 14
Jeremiah 14
Judgment Upon False Prophets
Jeremiah 14:1-6, The Droughts upon Judah
Jeremiah 14:1-6, “The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they are black unto the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters, they came to the pits, and found no water, they returned with their vessels empty, they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass. And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons, their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.”
Jeremiah 14 begins with a word from the LORD concerning the drought. The word “dearth” refers to a severe lack, especially a lack of rain and food. In an agrarian society, drought was not a minor inconvenience. It threatened crops, animals, families, cities, trade, and survival itself. Judah’s life depended on rain from heaven, and when the rain stopped, the nation felt the judgment of God in the most basic necessities of life.
This drought also exposed the folly of Judah’s idolatry. Many in Judah had been drawn after Baal because Baal was regarded by the Canaanites as a god of storm, fertility, and rain. They pursued false gods hoping for agricultural blessing, but the result was drought. This was covenant judgment, exactly the kind of warning God had given through Moses.
Deuteronomy 28:23-24, “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust, from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.”
Judah mourns. Her gates languish. The gates were the places of public life, commerce, justice, conversation, and civic strength. When the gates languish, the whole society is weakened. The people are “black unto the ground,” a picture of humiliation, mourning, and despair. The cry of Jerusalem goes up, but the chapter will show that the cry is not the same as true repentance.
The nobles send their little ones for water. Even the upper classes, who normally had resources and servants, cannot escape the drought. Their servants go to the pits and cisterns, but find no water. They return with empty vessels, ashamed and confounded. Covering the head was a sign of deep grief and humiliation. The nation that trusted in idols now cannot even fill a water jar.
The ground is chapt, cracked and split by dryness. The plowmen are ashamed because they cannot work the land. Their labor depends on rain, and without rain there is no harvest. The drought humiliates both nobles and laborers, city and field, rulers and farmers.
The suffering extends to animals. The hind, or deer, gives birth in the field but forsakes the young because there is no grass. The deer is known for care of its young, so this image shows how severe the drought is. Even natural affection is strained by desperation. The wild asses stand on the high places, sniffing the wind like jackals, their eyes failing because there is no grass. The hardiest animals are reduced to helplessness.
This passage teaches that sin affects more than the sinner. Judah’s rebellion brings grief upon the land, animals, fields, workers, nobles, children, and cities. Creation itself groans under the weight of man’s sin.
Jeremiah 14:7-9, A Model of Godly Repentance in the Time of Drought
Jeremiah 14:7-9, “O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake, for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name, leave us not.”
Jeremiah now gives a model of what true repentance should have sounded like from Judah. The prayer begins honestly, “though our iniquities testify against us.” True repentance does not deny guilt, minimize sin, blame circumstances, or hide behind religious language. Their own iniquities were witnesses against them. The evidence was overwhelming.
The plea is not based on merit, but on God’s name, “do thou it for thy name’s sake.” This is the proper ground of mercy. When a sinner has no righteousness of his own to present, he must appeal to the name, character, mercy, and covenant faithfulness of God. Judah could not say, “Do it because we deserve it.” They could only say, “Do it for Thy name’s sake.”
The confession continues, “our backslidings are many, we have sinned against thee.” This is clear, personal, and theological. Sin is not merely a mistake against self interest or a social failure. It is against God. Judah had sinned against the LORD Himself.
Jeremiah then appeals to God as “the hope of Israel” and “the saviour thereof in time of trouble.” False gods could not give rain, deliverance, pardon, or restoration. The LORD alone was Israel’s hope. The prayer asks why God should be like a stranger in the land or a traveler who only stays for a night. The concern is not that God truly lacks power, but that His people have so alienated themselves from Him that His presence seems withdrawn.
The question becomes even stronger, “Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save?” God is not powerless. He is not confused. He is not a defeated warrior. The prayer appeals to His honor, asking Him to show Himself mighty to save.
The final plea is deeply covenantal, “yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name, leave us not.” Judah belonged to the LORD by covenant identity, but covenant identity without repentance could not protect them. If this prayer had truly come from the nation’s heart, it would have been a proper cry for mercy. But the next verse shows that this repentance remained only a model, not the actual condition of the people.
Jeremiah 14:10, God’s Response to the Shallow Response of His People
Jeremiah 14:10, “Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them, he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.”
The LORD answers the imagined repentance by exposing the real condition of the people. They “loved to wander.” Their problem was not merely weakness. They loved the path of rebellion. They did not restrain their feet. They did not fight against their sin, check their desires, or turn back from idolatry. They continued walking away from God.
This shows that words of repentance are not enough if the life still loves wandering. A man may know what repentance should sound like and still refuse to repent. Judah could speak the language of humility, but their feet kept moving toward sin.
Therefore, “the LORD doth not accept them.” Religious words without repentance were not acceptable. Fasting, offerings, and prayers could not substitute for a heart turned back to God.
“He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” When Scripture says God remembers sin in this sense, it does not mean He had forgotten facts. It means He now acts in judgment concerning those sins. To “visit” their sins means to bring accountability. Judah had refused the day of mercy, and the day of visitation had come.
Jeremiah 14:11-12, The Futility of Prayer When Judgment Is Fixed
Jeremiah 14:11-12, “Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry, and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
The LORD again tells Jeremiah not to pray for this people for their good. This instruction had appeared earlier in Jeremiah 7 and Jeremiah 11. It is one of the most severe judgments in the book. Jeremiah was a praying prophet. His instinct was to intercede. The fact that God had to command him not to pray shows Jeremiah’s compassion and persistence.
But Judah had reached a point where prayer would not avert the coming judgment. They had refused correction, loved wandering, followed false gods, listened to false prophets, and hardened themselves against the word of the LORD. Their course was set.
God says that when they fast, He will not hear their cry. Fasting normally signaled humility, mourning, and appeal to God. But fasting without repentance is unacceptable. God also says He will not accept their burnt offering or oblation. Sacrifices cannot cover rebellion when the heart refuses obedience.
Isaiah 1:15-17, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear, your hands are full blood. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
The principle is the same. God rejects religious acts when men cling to evil.
The judgment will come by sword, famine, and pestilence. These three often came together in war. The sword kills directly. Famine follows siege and ruined crops. Pestilence spreads among weakened and crowded people. Judah had experienced drought already, but worse judgment was coming.
Jeremiah 14:13, Jeremiah Reports the Words of the False Prophets
Jeremiah 14:13, “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.”
Jeremiah responds by pointing out the problem of the false prophets. He says, “Ah, Lord GOD!” This is the cry of a burdened prophet. He knows the people are guilty, but he also knows they have been deceived by men who claim to speak for God.
The false prophets promised the opposite of Jeremiah’s message. Jeremiah announced sword, famine, pestilence, and judgment. The false prophets said, “Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.”
This was a positive message. It sounded hopeful. It would have been popular. It assured the people that Jerusalem would remain safe, that drought and war would not destroy them, and that God would give peace. But hope detached from truth is not biblical hope. Peace promised against the word of God is a lie.
This is one reason false prophets are so dangerous. They do not always sound dark, pagan, or obviously wicked. Often they sound comforting, patriotic, spiritual, and encouraging. But if their message contradicts the word of the LORD, it is deadly.
Jeremiah 14:14-15, God’s Assessment of the False Prophets
Jeremiah 14:14-15, “Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name, I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them, they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing nought, and the deceit their heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land, By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.”
The LORD gives His verdict plainly, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name.” Their sin is especially serious because they attach God’s name to their falsehood. They do not merely offer personal opinions. They claim divine authority for lies.
God says, “I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them.” A man may claim to speak for God, but if God did not send, command, or speak to him, his message is false. The authority of preaching does not come from confidence, charisma, popularity, or sincerity. It comes from God’s word.
Their message came from false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart. They were not receiving revelation from God. They were projecting the lies of their own hearts and presenting them as prophecy.
The punishment fits the lie. They said sword and famine would not come, but by sword and famine they would be consumed. The very judgment they denied would overtake them. False teachers do not escape the truth by denying it.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22, “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid him.”
False prophecy is not a small error. It is rebellion against God and spiritual violence against the people who hear it.
Jeremiah 14:16, God’s Judgment on Those Who Receive the False Prophets
Jeremiah 14:16, “And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets Jerusalem because the famine and the sword, and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters, for I will pour their wickedness upon them.”
God does not treat the hearers of the false prophets as innocent. “The people to whom they prophesy” will also suffer judgment. They were responsible for accepting lies and rejecting the true word spoken through Jeremiah.
This is a crucial principle. False teachers bear guilt for lying, but people also bear responsibility for loving lies. Judah preferred the message of peace because it allowed them to continue in sin without fear. They wanted prophets who confirmed their desires rather than prophets who confronted their rebellion.
2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
The judgment is horrific. The people will be cast into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. They, their wives, sons, and daughters will have no one to bury them. In Israelite thought, lack of burial was a terrible disgrace. The judgment would be public, humiliating, and complete.
God says, “I will pour their wickedness upon them.” The judgment corresponds to their sin. Their wickedness comes back upon their own heads. They must drink what they have poured out.
Jeremiah 14:17-18, Weeping over the Judgment to Come
Jeremiah 14:17-18, “Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them, Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow. If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.”
Jeremiah is commanded to speak a word of tears. His eyes are to run down night and day without ceasing. It was not a triumph to be proven right while false prophets were proven wrong. Jeremiah’s grief was deeper than any satisfaction in vindication. He loved the people, and their coming destruction broke his heart.
Judah is called “the virgin daughter my people.” This expression points to what Judah was meant to be, set apart, guarded, pure, and belonging to the LORD. But she is broken with a great breach and a grievous blow. The injury is severe, national, and devastating.
Jeremiah sees no refuge. If he goes into the field, he sees those slain by the sword. If he enters the city, he sees those sick with famine. War destroys outside the walls, and famine destroys within them. The whole land becomes a scene of death.
Even prophet and priest go into a land they do not know. The leaders who should have guided the people are themselves lost. The false prophets promised peace, but they will be carried into exile. The priests who should have taught truth will wander in a foreign land. When spiritual leaders are blind, the people are in grave danger.
Jeremiah 14:19-20, An Astonished Confession of Sin and Wickedness
Jeremiah 14:19-20, “Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time healing, and behold trouble! We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity our fathers, for we have sinned against thee.”
Jeremiah continues to pray, even after being told not to pray for the people. His love for Judah presses him toward God. He asks whether God has utterly rejected Judah and whether His soul has loathed Zion. These are anguished questions from a prophet who knows God’s covenant promises but sees devastating judgment coming.
The people looked for peace, but no good came. They looked for healing, but trouble came. This echoes the false prophetic message. The people believed the promise of peace, but the peace did not come because it was not from God. False hope delayed repentance and deepened the disaster.
Then Jeremiah speaks the confession Judah should have made, “We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity our fathers, for we have sinned against thee.” This is the language of true repentance. It acknowledges present wickedness and generational iniquity. It admits that the sin is against the LORD.
This confession is right, but the tragedy is that Jeremiah seems to offer it vicariously. The nation as a whole did not join him in true repentance. Jeremiah’s heart is aligned with what Judah should say, but the people remain hardened.
Jeremiah 14:21-22, A Plea That God Would Remember Them in Their Misery
Jeremiah 14:21-22, “Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne thy glory, remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all these things.”
Jeremiah now appeals to the strongest possible grounds, God’s name, God’s glory, and God’s covenant. He does not say, “Do not abhor us because we deserve mercy.” He says, “Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake.” The hope of mercy rests in who God is, not in what Judah has earned.
He pleads, “do not disgrace the throne thy glory.” Jerusalem, the temple, and the covenant people were associated with God’s visible rule and glory. Jeremiah asks God to act in a way that preserves the honor of His name.
Then he prays, “remember, break not thy covenant with us.” This is a covenant appeal. Judah had broken covenant, but Jeremiah asks the LORD to remember His own faithfulness. This anticipates the later hope of the New Covenant, where God’s mercy rests upon His initiative, His promise, and His grace.
Jeremiah returns to the drought that began the chapter. “Are there any among the vanities the Gentiles that can cause rain?” The answer is no. Baal cannot send rain. Idols cannot command clouds. Even “the heavens” cannot give showers apart from the Creator. Rain comes from the LORD, because He made all things.
This is the great lesson of the drought. Judah had pursued idols for rain, fertility, and blessing. Now the drought exposes their helplessness. Only the LORD can give rain. Only the LORD can heal. Only the LORD can save.
The final response is, “therefore we will wait upon thee.” Waiting on the LORD is the posture of humbled faith. It stops running to idols. It stops trusting false prophets. It stops trying to manipulate God with religious ceremony. It looks to the LORD alone.
Psalm 130:5-6, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning, I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”
Jeremiah’s prayer shows the only right direction for Judah. The tragedy is that the prophet prayed what the nation should have prayed, but the nation would not truly return.
Doctrinal and Practical Notes
Jeremiah 14 teaches that drought can function as covenant discipline. Judah’s lack of rain was not random misfortune. It was a covenant warning meant to expose sin and call the people to repentance.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that idolatry fails at the point of need. Judah pursued Baal and other false gods, but those gods could not provide rain. False gods promise blessing but cannot deliver.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that true repentance begins with honest confession. “Our iniquities testify against us” is the language of a soul that stops defending itself and acknowledges guilt before God.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that repentance must be real, not merely imagined or verbal. The prayer of Jeremiah 14:7-9 was beautiful, but the people actually loved to wander and did not restrain their feet.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that religious acts without repentance are rejected. Fasting, burnt offerings, and oblations could not turn away judgment while Judah continued in rebellion.
Jeremiah 14 teaches the deadly danger of false prophets. They promised no sword, no famine, and assured peace, but God said they prophesied lies in His name.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that false teachers are accountable, and so are those who receive them. The prophets would be consumed by sword and famine, and the people who listened would also suffer because they preferred lies to truth.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that faithful prophets grieve over judgment. Jeremiah’s tears flowed night and day. Being right about judgment did not make him happy. His heart broke for the people.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that the only valid appeal for mercy is God Himself. Jeremiah appeals to God’s name, God’s throne, and God’s covenant, not to Judah’s worthiness.
Jeremiah 14 teaches that the LORD alone controls creation. The vanities of the Gentiles cannot cause rain. The heavens cannot give showers independently. The LORD made all things, therefore His people must wait upon Him.
Summary
Jeremiah 14 begins with the droughts upon Judah. The land mourns, the gates languish, nobles send servants for water and find none, plowmen are ashamed, deer abandon their young, and wild donkeys fail because there is no grass. The drought exposes the foolishness of trusting Baal and other idols for rain.
Jeremiah then gives a model prayer of repentance, confessing that Judah’s iniquities testify against them, that their backslidings are many, and that they have sinned against the LORD. The prayer appeals to God as the Hope of Israel, the Savior in time of trouble, and the One whose name is upon His people. Yet God answers that the people only loved to wander and had not restrained their feet. Therefore He would not accept them.
God tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people, because their fasting and sacrifices will not be accepted. Judgment will come by sword, famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah then points out that false prophets are promising peace, no sword, and no famine. God answers that these prophets prophesy lies in His name, from false visions, divination, worthless things, and the deceit of their own hearts. By sword and famine they will be consumed, and the people who listened to them will also suffer judgment.
Jeremiah weeps night and day because the virgin daughter of his people is broken with a grievous blow. In the field are the slain by the sword, and in the city are those sick with famine. Prophet and priest go into a land they do not know. Jeremiah then confesses sin on behalf of the people and pleads with God for His name’s sake, His throne’s glory, and His covenant. The chapter closes by declaring that idols cannot cause rain, the heavens cannot give showers apart from God, and therefore the faithful must wait upon the LORD who made all things.
