Jeremiah Chapter 27
Jeremiah 27
Bonds and Yokes
Jeremiah 27:1-3, The Command to Make Bonds and Yokes
Jeremiah 27:1-3, “In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD to me, Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;”
Jeremiah 27 begins with a chronological difficulty. The KJV text says, “In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,” but the chapter itself clearly places the action in the days of Zedekiah. Verse 3 says the messengers came to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah, and Jeremiah 28:1 continues the same setting in the fourth year of Zedekiah. The most likely explanation is that the reference to Jehoiakim reflects a scribal copying issue from the similar opening in Jeremiah 26:1. The KJV reading should be preserved as the received text in the lesson, while the historical setting of the chapter is plainly Zedekiah’s reign.
The LORD commands Jeremiah to make bonds and yokes and put them upon his neck. The bond was the strap or fastening, and the yoke was the wooden frame used on the neck of oxen or other beasts of burden. The image is humiliating and unmistakable. A yoke means submission. It means another master has authority. It means labor under control.
Jeremiah is not merely to speak about submission to Babylon. He is to wear the sign. His body becomes part of the message. The prophet visually declares that Judah and the surrounding nations must place their necks under the yoke of Babylon because the LORD has decreed it.
The message is not only for Judah. Jeremiah is told to send the yokes to the kings of Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, Tyrus, and Zidon by the hand of their messengers who had come to Jerusalem. These nations were likely gathered to discuss rebellion against Babylon. They saw opportunity in the political instability of the time, but Jeremiah brings a word that contradicts their strategy. Revolt against Babylon would not be courage. It would be rebellion against the judgment God had appointed.
This also fulfills Jeremiah’s calling as a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:10, “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
Jeremiah’s message reaches beyond Judah because the LORD rules beyond Judah. The God of Israel is not a tribal deity. He is sovereign over Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Babylon, and every kingdom of the earth.
Jeremiah 27:4-8, The Message Associated with the Bonds and Yokes
Jeremiah 27:4-8, “And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come, and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”
The message begins with God’s identity and authority, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel.” He is the commander of heavenly armies and the covenant God of Israel. But His claim in this passage is universal, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground.” Creation establishes ownership. Because God made the earth, mankind, and the beasts, He has the right to give dominion to whomever He chooses.
The LORD says He made all things “by my great power and by my outstretched arm.” The same phrase that often describes God’s saving power for Israel now describes His sovereign power over nations. His outstretched arm is not limited to deliverance. It also governs judgment, empire, and history.
God says, “I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant.” Nebuchadnezzar was not righteous in heart, but he was God’s servant in purpose. The LORD used him as an instrument to judge Judah and the nations. This does not excuse Babylon’s pride or cruelty. It shows that even pagan kings operate under God’s decree.
Daniel 2:20-21, “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons, he removeth kings, and setteth up kings, he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”
The nations would serve Nebuchadnezzar, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of Babylon itself came. Babylon’s rule was real, but not eternal. God gave Babylon authority for a season, and when that season ended, many nations and great kings would make Babylon serve them. This anticipates Babylon’s fall.
Daniel 5:30-31, “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.”
The warning is simple. Any nation refusing to serve Nebuchadnezzar and refusing to put its neck under his yoke would be punished by the LORD with sword, famine, and pestilence. The phrase “by his hand” shows that God would use Babylon as the human instrument of His judgment.
The yoke was therefore not merely Babylon’s yoke. It was God’s appointed yoke. To resist it was to resist the discipline of the LORD.
Jeremiah 27:9-11, Do Not Believe the Lying Prophets
Jeremiah 27:9-11, “Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.”
The LORD warns the surrounding nations not to listen to their prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, or sorcerers. These spiritual voices were telling them what they wanted to hear, “Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon.” They promised freedom, success, and deliverance from Babylonian domination. But God says, “they prophesy a lie unto you.”
This shows that false prophecy was not only a problem in Judah. The surrounding nations also had religious figures who offered deceptive comfort in a time of crisis. Men under pressure often seek spiritual confirmation for what they already want to do. The nations wanted revolt, so their prophets promised success.
God says the lie would remove them far from their land. The false prophets claimed to protect national freedom, but their message would actually produce exile and destruction. A comforting lie can be more dangerous than a painful truth. The painful truth offers a path of life. The comforting lie leads men to perish.
The nations that brought their necks under Babylon’s yoke would remain in their own land, till it, and dwell in it. Submission to the appointed judgment would preserve life and place. Resistance would bring sword, famine, pestilence, exile, and death.
This is the hard mercy of God’s discipline. Sometimes the way to live is not to fight the yoke, but to submit to the chastening God has appointed.
Hebrews 12:5-6, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Under the New Covenant, Christ gives His people a different yoke, not the yoke of Babylonian judgment, but the yoke of discipleship, rest, humility, and grace.
Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Jeremiah’s generation had to submit to the yoke of discipline. Christ’s people are called to submit to His gracious yoke.
Jeremiah 27:12-15, The Message to King Zedekiah
Jeremiah 27:12-15, “I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.”
Jeremiah gives the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. Judah is not exempt. The house of David must hear the same word given to the surrounding nations, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.”
This message was politically offensive. Many would view it as treason. But Jeremiah was not serving Babylon. He was serving the LORD. Since God had decreed Babylon’s rule, submission to Babylon was obedience to God’s judgment. Resistance would only multiply death.
Jeremiah asks, “Why will ye die?” This is a mercy filled question. God is not delighting in destruction. He is warning them that resistance will bring sword, famine, and pestilence. They can live if they will humble themselves under the yoke.
Again Jeremiah warns against the prophets who say, “Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon.” They are lying in God’s name. This makes their sin worse. A lie is evil, but a lie spoken in the name of the LORD is blasphemous deception.
God says, “I have not sent them.” They have activity without commission, speech without revelation, and confidence without truth. God allows their lies to test the people. If Judah chooses the false prophets, they will be driven out and perish, along with the prophets who deceived them.
This is a repeated theme in Jeremiah. False prophets do not save people from judgment. They lead them into it.
Jeremiah 27:16-17, What the Lying Prophets Said about the Temple Vessels
Jeremiah 27:16-17, “Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?”
Jeremiah next speaks to the priests and all the people. The false prophets were saying that the vessels of the LORD’s house would soon be brought back from Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had already taken some of the temple vessels during earlier invasions. The false prophets promised a quick reversal and restoration.
Their message sounded patriotic, hopeful, and religious. It honored the temple vessels. It promised that the shame of Babylon would soon be undone. But God says it was a lie.
The real word of the LORD was not, “The vessels are coming back shortly.” The real word was, “Serve the king of Babylon, and live.” The question is piercing, “wherefore should this city be laid waste?” Why bring greater destruction on Jerusalem by refusing the discipline of God?
The false prophets made the people think that hope meant avoiding Babylon. Jeremiah taught that true hope meant submitting to what God had spoken, even when that submission was humiliating.
The temple vessels were precious, but the people were not to build false hope around sacred objects. Religious symbols cannot save a rebellious people. The only path of life was obedience to God’s word.
Jeremiah 27:18, The Test of the Prophets Regarding the Temple Vessels
Jeremiah 27:18, “But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.”
Jeremiah gives a test. If these men are truly prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them intercede that the remaining vessels not go to Babylon. This is a wise test because true prophets do not merely announce pleasant claims. They stand before God, hear His word, and intercede according to truth.
The false prophets claimed that the vessels already taken would soon return. Jeremiah says the more urgent issue is that the vessels still remaining in Jerusalem are also in danger. If the prophets are real, let them pray that these remaining vessels not be taken.
This exposes the difference between false optimism and true intercession. False prophets make claims they cannot sustain before God. True servants of the LORD can bring the matter into His presence.
Testing prophets is a biblical principle.
Deuteronomy 18:21-22, “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 of 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 of him.”
The people were not required to accept every religious claim. They were responsible to test what was said in the name of the LORD.
Jeremiah 27:19-22, The Fate of the Temple Vessels
Jeremiah 27:19-22, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.”
The LORD now gives the true word about the temple vessels. The pillars, the sea, the bases, and the remaining vessels in the city would be carried to Babylon. These were significant items connected to the temple and royal house. Nebuchadnezzar had not taken them when he carried away Jeconiah and the nobles, but he would take them later.
This was fulfilled when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 52:17-19, “Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups, that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.”
The vessels would remain in Babylon until the day God visited them. This is important. The vessels would be taken, but not lost forever. God’s judgment had a limit. In His time, He would bring them up and restore them to Jerusalem.
This was also fulfilled after Babylon fell and Cyrus allowed the return.
Ezra 1:7-11, “Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them, thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.”
The false prophets promised immediate restoration. God promised eventual restoration after judgment. The difference matters. False hope denies discipline. True hope passes through discipline and rests on God’s appointed time.
Doctrinal and Practical Notes
Jeremiah 27 teaches that God rules the nations. He made the earth, man, and beast, and gives kingdoms to whom it seems right to Him.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that God may use pagan rulers as His servants. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant in judgment, though he remained accountable for his own sin.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that resistance to God’s discipline brings greater judgment. The nations that refused Babylon’s yoke would suffer sword, famine, and pestilence.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that false prophets often sound patriotic, optimistic, and religious. They promised freedom from Babylon and return of the temple vessels, but their message was a lie.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that a comforting lie can destroy a nation. The message “Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon” sounded hopeful, but it would lead to exile and death.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that submission can be the path of life. Judah’s call was not to fight harder, but to humble itself under God’s appointed yoke.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that religious objects cannot replace obedience. The temple vessels mattered, but hope placed in them apart from God’s word was false hope.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that prophets must be tested. If the word of the LORD is truly with them, their message will stand before God and come to pass.
Jeremiah 27 teaches that God’s judgment may include loss, but His restoration comes in His appointed time. The vessels would go to Babylon, remain there, and later be restored.
Jeremiah 27 points forward by contrast to Christ’s yoke. Babylon’s yoke was judgment and chastening. Christ’s yoke is rest, discipleship, and grace.
Summary
Jeremiah 27 records the sign of bonds and yokes. Though verse 1 reads Jehoiakim in the KJV, the chapter’s setting is clearly in the reign of Zedekiah. Jeremiah is commanded to make bonds and yokes, put them on his neck, and send the message to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their messengers who came to Jerusalem.
The message is that the LORD made the earth, man, and beast by His great power and outstretched arm, and He gives rule to whom He chooses. He has given the lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, His servant. The nations must serve him, his son, and his son’s son until Babylon’s own appointed time comes. Any nation refusing to put its neck under Babylon’s yoke will be punished by sword, famine, and pestilence.
The surrounding nations are warned not to listen to prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, or sorcerers who say they will not serve Babylon. They prophesy lies that will lead to exile and death. Those who submit to Babylon’s yoke will remain in their land, till it, and dwell in it.
Jeremiah gives the same message to Zedekiah, calling him and the people to bring their necks under Babylon’s yoke and live. The prophets who promise freedom from Babylon are lying in the LORD’s name, and God did not send them.
The chapter then turns to the temple vessels. The false prophets claim that the vessels already taken to Babylon will soon return. Jeremiah says this is a lie. If they are true prophets, let them intercede that the vessels still remaining in the temple, palace, and city do not go to Babylon. But the true word is that the remaining pillars, sea, bases, and vessels will be carried to Babylon and remain there until the LORD visits them. Then He will bring them up and restore them to Jerusalem.
