Welcome to BibleStudyMinistry.com, your online Bible Study supplement source. Today we dive into a chapter summary on Jeremiah chapter 4. Before we get to the summary, let’s review the chapter below.
1 If thou wilt return, O Akobe, saith the Almighty, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2 And thou shalt swear, The Almighty liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3 For thus saith the Almighty to the men of Juda and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Almighty, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Juda and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 Declare ye in Juda, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
6 Set up the standard toward Jerusalem: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament, and howl: for the fierce anger of the Almighty is not turned back from us.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Almighty, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Then said I, Ah, Almighty Creator! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15 For a voice declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Juda.
17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Almighty.
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart.
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me. They are sottish children, and they have none understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Almighty, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the Almighty said, The whole land shall be desolate. Yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black. Because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair. Thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Jerusalem, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Jeremiah chapter 4 summary
In the opening verses of Jeremiah chapter 4, the Almighty calls upon Akobe, urging them to return and repent. The people are instructed to put away their abominations and swear by the living Almighty with truth, judgment, and righteousness.
A call was made to the men of Juda and Jerusalem to prepare themselves spiritually. They had to do this by breaking up their fallow ground and circumcising their hearts. They are warned that if they do not heed this call, the Almighty’s fury will come upon them. It would not be friendly, it would be like an unquenchable fire.
The passage emphasizes the impending destruction from the north.
A destroyer poised to lay waste to the land and cities. The severity of the situation is underscored by the impending doom faced by the king, princes, priests, and prophets. The chapter begins with a plea for repentance and a stark warning of the impending calamity.
In this section of Jeremiah chapter 4, a dire prophecy is delivered to the people of Jerusalem. They are warned of a coming destructive force, described as a dry wind from the high places in the wilderness. This wind symbolizes the impending judgment, as it will not serve to fan or cleanse but to bring devastation.
The passage vividly portrays the destructive force as swift and overwhelming, likening it to clouds, whirlwinds, and eagles. The people of Jerusalem are urged to cleanse their hearts from wickedness to find salvation.
The prophecy extends to the nations, with watchers coming from afar to declare judgment against the cities of Judah. The devastation is attributed to the people’s wickedness and rebellion against the Almighty. The section concludes with a depiction of the land’s desolation. In addition, the mountains were trembling in the face of the Almighty’s fierce anger.
This stresses the severity of the impending judgment.
In this concluding section of Jeremiah chapter 4, the prophet provides a grim depiction of desolation and destruction. The once fruitful land has turned into a wilderness, with cities lying in ruins. This is due to the fierce anger of the Almighty. The devastation is so extensive that every city is forsaken, devoid of inhabitants. The impending calamity is irreversible, as the Almighty has purposed it and will not relent. People will attempt to beautify themselves with fine clothing and ornaments. However, it will be in vain as their lovers will despise them and seek their lives.
The chapter ends with the poignant cries of the daughter of Jerusalem. This is likened to a woman in labor, lamenting the weariness and anguish caused by murderers. The overall message emphasizes the inevitability of divine judgment and the devastating consequences of the people’s actions.
This is the summary of Jeremiah chapter 4; Glory to the Creator of mercy and forgiveness.
The image above was created to capture the essence of Jeremiah Chapter 4. It was infused with African-Nigerian vibes. It portrays a figure representing Jeremiah, embodying themes of warning, repentance, and impending disaster. Symbolic elements like ominous clouds, and a hint of hope through a breaking ray of light. These all contribute to a scene that reflects solemnity, reflection, and a deep connection to the land and its people.
For more summaries and studies, click on the summaries link right here. As always, be strong and very courageous.
Written by Minister Koko, for BSM
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